If any pre-Beatle composer could take claim for creating a musical background for the Baby Boomer Generation, my money would bet on Henry Mancini (1924-1994). This two disc, 52 song collection puts together music that was featured in a plethora of movies, creating a cache of “Theme Songs” that still resonate today. There are also some vintage deliveries of jazz and rock tunes that hit the charts, with songs that served as vehicles for pop singers to not only interpret, but center their careers around.
Here, you get the debut of these classic tunes, such as “Moon River”, “Days of Wine And Roses”, “Mr. Lucky”, “The Great Imposter” and “Hatari”(you may not have known that the hit “Baby Elephant Walk” was from the film Hatar). Of course, there is the famous relentless guitar lick and riffing saxes on “Peter Gunn” and you also giet the swinging “Big Noise From Winnetka”, which jazz bands still play to this day.
There are also selections from a handful of his albums such as Driftwood and Dreams, The Blues And The Beat and Combo. Included here are rocking classics like “Castle Rock” and “Tequila” for the kids and “Smoke Rings” and “Mood Indigo” for the parents. The collection reminds you of a time when multiple generations could listen to the same album and all get enjoyment out of it. Where did we go wrong?