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Monica Mancini, et. al.: Ultimate Mancini
ByFrom the outset, the high quality and "cool" approach of Mancini is laid out on his timeless "The Pink Panther Theme. The ensemble plays it straight and Joey DeFrancesco and Plas Johnson add tone, color and depth. A bit of a more jazz/looser approach is taken with "The Peter Gunn Theme, featuring lead alto saxophone by Tom Scott. But my overall favorite has to be the harmonica of none other than Stevie Wonder on Mancini's moody and placid "Moon River. Add to that the beautiful vocal arrangement and performance of Take 6 and you have one of the best recordings of this classic. The entire piece just inspires the thought that Henry Mancini himself must love the recording.
Recommending a tribute recording is not a common occurrence; however, when one is so well thought out, executed and packaged, it must be recognized. Henry Mancini's career and his contributions to music may take more than the "year" allotted to him, but one of the best places to start would be this recording of a respectful tip of the hat by some of the top musicians, studio professionals and his very talented daughter Monica.
Track Listing
1. The Pink Panther Theme 2. Charade 3. Two for the Road 4. Moon River 5. Moment to Moment 6. Days of Wine and Roses 7. Peter Gunn Theme 8. Dreamsville 9. Dear Heart 10. The Thorn Birds Theme 11. Anywhere the Heart Goes 12. Mr. Lucky 13. Whistling in the Dark 14. Life in the Looking Glass 15. Crazy World 16. It?s Easy to Say 17. Music on the Way
Personnel
Monica Mancini
vocalsFeaturing: Monica Mancini; Stevie Wonder; Take 6; Tom Scott; Kenny Rankin; Joey De Francesco.
Album information
Title: Ultimate Mancini | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Concord Music Group