MANCINI 67 - THE BIG BAND SOUND OF HENRY MANCINI
MANCINI 67
THE BIG BAND SOUND OF HENRY MANCINI
| SIDE 1 STOLEN SWEETS THE CAT THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE SATIN DOLL CHEROKEE STOCKHOLM SWEETNIN' |
SIDE 2 CONQUEST TIJUANA TAXI AUTUMN NOCTURNE THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN ROUND MIDNIGHT TURTLE |
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STOLEN SWEETS | ||
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THE CAT | ||
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THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE | ||
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SATIN DOLL | ||
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CHEROKEE | ||
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STOCKHOLM SWEETNIN | ||
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CONQUEST | ||
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TIJUANA TAXI | ||
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AUTUMN NOCTURNE | ||
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THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN | ||
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ROUND MIDNIGHT | ||
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TURTLE | ||
| That Hank Mancini has an
exceptional gift for creating lovely and enduring melodies need hardly
be explained to anyone who has been exposed to such examples as Moon
River, Charade, Dear Heart and Days of Wine and Roses. Nor should it be
necessary to point out, to anyone who possesses a TV set plus a dollar
for a movie, that any writer who can swing from "Peter Gunn" to
"Breakfast at Tiffany's," "The Pink Panther" and "The Great Race" is not
only a songwriter, but also a creator of masterfully variegated
background scores. (In talking about Mancini, the term "background
scores" seems slightly inept, since their success as best-selling
records has brought them into the foreground in millions of homes.) Similarly, there is no need to elaborate here on the Mancini propensity for winning awards. By now his combined collection of Grammies, Oscars and other trophies, all won within the past five years, weighs slightly more than Mancini in a topcoat. But the time has come to return to essentials. At the core of his success is the protean talent of the man who achieved it, and among the many facets of this talent none can be considered more important than his roots in the big band music of the swing era. The evidence is abundant, starting with his early experience as a young pianist-arranger in the Tex Beneke orchestra and progressing to such assignments as the scoring of music for two band-oriented motion pictures, "The Benny Goodman Story" and "The Glenn Miller Story." That, as Mancini points out, "I've done so many other types of albums in the past few years that a lot of people may not realize what a strong affinity I still have for the big band sound." Proof of this point has manifested itself in such albums as UNIQUELY MANCINI and THE BLUES AND THE BEAT. The latter won a Grammy from NARAS as the best large-group jazz performance of 1960. (Let's not forget, either, that the MUSIC FROM PETER GUNN album earned a DOWNBEAT award as Best Jazz Record of the Year in a national poll of disc jockeys.) Since some three years have elapsed since the release of UNIQUELY MANCINI, the present album represents a long and eagerly awaited undertaking, for which Hank's customary lineup of nonpareil Hollywood musicians was assembled. The foundation of any jazz-oriented big band is its rhythm Section. For this album Hank had as dependable a foursome as has ever swung for him. Along with the consistently pulsating work of pianist Jimmy Rowles and guitarist Bob Bain were the drums of Jack Sperling and the bass work of a newcomer to the Mancini family, the perennial award-winning Ray Brown. s "Sperling and Ray worked perfectly together," says Mancini. "This was really a great lift for everyone." The overall impression created by the album is doubly emphatic. First, it illustrates Hank's ability to lend new character to an unusual set of tunes from a variety of sources (pop, jazz and rock). Second, it emphasizes that the Mancini orchestra is both a superb ensemble and a collection of talented individuals.No wonder, when he listened to the tapes played back a few days after the sessions, Mancini remarked, "This wasn't an easy album to work on, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Every couple of years I get an urge to return to where I came from." As these sides prove, Thomas Wolfe was wrong; if you keep your brain cells limber you can go home again. |
SIDE 1 STOLEN SWEETS (William S. Davis) (2:59) Of Stolen Sweets, Hank says, "I've been wanting to record this for a couple of years. It was written by Wild Bill Davis, the organist. Bill recorded it with Johnny Hodges, and one night in Minneapolis I heard it on Franklin Hobbs' all-night jazz programme." In the Mancini treatment, rich ensemble textures build a setting for the full-bodied baritone sax of Ronny Lang. THE CAT (Lalo Schifrin) (2:37) The Cat, which won a Grammy for Lalo Schifrin as the best jazz composition of 1964, achieves a fast, up-tempo-blues groove that provides solo outlets for Jimmy Rowles, Ted Nash, Pete Candoli and Picts Johnson. THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE (Love Theme from "The Sandpiper") (Paul Francis Webster-Johnny Mandel) (2:58) This provides a warm melodic medium for the trombone of Dick Nash, and for some of Mancini's most compelling orchestration, as he lends his very personal touch to the Johnny Mandel melody from "The Sandpiper." SATIN DOLL (Johnny Mercer-Billy Strayhorn-Duke Ellington) (2:54) A Duke Ellington standard that dates back to 1952 features the piano of Jimmy Rowles and some easy walking bass by Ray Brown with assistance, too, from Larry Bunker. CHEROKEE (Indian Love Song) (Ray Noble) (2:59) A 1939 hit for Charlie Barnet's band again demonstrates Mancini's knack for giving new life to old tunes by using unusual instrumentations. Early in this arrangement, over the horn and trombone choir, you'll hear figures played by five piccolos. Larry Bunker, Plas Johnson, Pete Candoli and Jimmy Rowles are also featured in the Ray Noble standard. STOCKHOLM SWEETNIN' (Quincy Jones) (3:08) This was composed by Quincy Janes, another of the great contemporary writers (he and Hank belong to a very exclusive mutual admiration society). Note the opening passage featuring three alto flutes and two bass flutes; and the flute solo is by Ronny Lang. The vibes work here is by Victor Feldman. SIDE 2 CONQUEST (from the 20th Century-Fox picture, "Captain from Castile") (Alfred Newman) (2:47) Conquest is a movie theme by Alfred Newman, who, said Hank, "was one of my favourite composers even before I started writing for pictures and, incidentally, still is." Note the trumpet work of Pete Candoli, the brilliant use of the reed section and the French horns, and Sperling's driving percussion. TIJUANA TAXI (Bud Coleman) (2:34) Taxi, familiar to all Herb Alpert fans, takes off into the Mexican streets with Bob Bain on guitar and Larry Bunker on marimba. Pete Candoli plays the trumpet solo and Hank wants you to know that the taxi horn effect was played by none other than Mancini himself. AUTUMN NOCTURNE (Kim Gannon-Josef Myrow) (4:05) This is a popular standard—vintage, 1941. "I was thinking of that great old record by Claude Thornhill when I scored this," says Mancini. Woven into the score are notable solos by Jimmy Rowles, Jack Sheldon, Ted Nash on alto sax, Larry Bunker on vibes, and Plas Johnson. THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN (Alan Price) (3:00) A hit originally associated with a rock 'n' roll vocal group, this selection offers another resounding example of Mancini's ability to create and build a mood as it mounts to a massive ensemble sound. After the bass flute introduction, the solo in the first chorus is taken by Vincent de Rosa on French horn. Plas Johnson again has a tenor solo. 'ROUND MIDNIGHT (Bernie Hanighen-Cootie Williams-Thelonious Monk) (3:42) This Thelonious Monk standard (introduced on records in 1944 by Cootie Williams' band) opens with a poignant, unaccompanied statement of the theme by Jack Sheldon. Gently, gradually, he is joined by Bob Bain, Ray Brown, and the brushwork of Sperling. Jimmy Rowles and Ted Nash complete the first chorus; Sheldon returns for the final statement. TURTLES (Henry Mancini) (2:38) This is a Mancini original that sets the sax section against the lower depths of the trombones along with the so-called "fuzz guitar" effects by Bob Bain. The attractive minor-mode theme, with its 6/8 rhythmic touch, also displays some Plas Johnson tenor sax and brilliant splashes of colour from the whole brass section. |
