Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Monica Mancini: Cinema Paradiso

Monica Mancini: Cinema Paradiso

By AAJ Staff
January 19, 2003
View read count

Monica Mancini, the daughter of the legendary Henry Mancini, grew up with an affinity for themes and scores. On her sophomore Concord release, she builds on a theme while settling the score regarding her own place in the Jazz vocalist pantheon. Opening with the English translation of Ennio Morricone’s lovely theme from the titular film, Mancini goes on to feature old favorites and new selections, including the love theme from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and "Senza Fine" from the recently released Ghost Ship. Among the more familiar fare are Michelle Legrand’s haunting theme from Summer of ’42, Burt Bacharach’s musical question to Alfie, Johnny Mandel’s "Shadow of Your Smile," Harold Arlen’s "Over the Rainbow" and even "Baby Mine" from the children’s classic Dumbo. In an effort to face and promote her legacy, Mancini takes a drizzly pour through Dad’s lesser-known title song for Soldier in the Rain. As most of these themes relate to romance, it is fitting that Mancini treats them all with the same husky and occasionally tremulous whisper. Unfortunately, some points of emotion are lost in her translations.

Track Listing

1. Cinema Paradiso, film score Cinema Paradiso (Remember), Composed by Ennio Morricone 2. Black Orpheus, film score A Day in the Life of a Fool, Composed by Luiz Bonfa 3. The Summer of '42, film score The Summer Knows, Composed by Michel Legrand 4. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, film score A Love Before Time, Composed by Dun Tan 5. Soldier in the Rain, film score Soldier in the Rain, Composed by Henry Mancini 6. Alfie (for the film score "Alfie"), Composed by Burt Bacharach 7. Royal Wedding, musical Too Late Now, Composed by Burton Lane 8. The Sandpiper, film score The Shadow of Your Smile, Composed by Johnny Alfred Mandel 9. Baby Mine (for Disney's "Dumbo"), Composed by Frank Churchill 10. Ghost Ship, film score Senza Fine, Composed by John Frizzell 11. The Promise, film score I'll Never Say Goodbye, Composed by David Shire 12. The Wizard of Oz, film score Over the Rainbow, Composed by Harold Arlen

Personnel

Monica Mancini

vocals

Album information

Title: Cinema Paradiso | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Concord Music Group

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Mary Ann Redmond: On the Verge
< Previous

Shades Of Harlem Delivers Harlem Mys...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.