Henry Mancini

After a briefly insistent fanfare, everything settles into a game of billiards complete with missed shots and gentle swearing under the breath. Mancini wittily scores this for a prominent electric guitar and marimba which brings out the silliness involved with a not too terribly expert player!

“Lujon” is a hypnotic spell binder. Once one hears it with strings and a slow rhythm, it stays with the mind for a long time. The melodic line is seductively steamy with a mellow trombone playing in the distance followed by a Johnny Hodges type alto sax joining in for good measure. An acoustic guitar adds to the romance of this classic piece. A good measure of this work’s durability is that it’s actually been spotted on You Tube.

Henry Mancini’s big break came in 1954 when he arranged and composed music for the 1954 Universal biographical film “The Glenn Miller Story” starring James Stewart and June Allyson. Although music long associated with Miller was heard throughout the film, the most memorable music was The Love Theme which later had words set to the music. Known as “Too Little Time,” it’s played here in an arrangement featuring trombonist Dick Nash that reminds us of what true love between t... MORE

It’s easy to criticize Mancini for having written this piece and use it as an example of a lack of skill in writing a movie score. Yet this particular piece is supposed to be light and frothy. The inspiration for this work came from the basic walk of the little pachyderms which matched perfectly a boogie woogie beat (eight to the bar). To make this even more funny is the inclusion of a calliope, slyly muted trombones, a cheeky clarinet, and four piccolos (Mancini was a flu... MORE

Ross Martin (1920 - 1981) was one of those people who loved acting to the very core of his being and it certainly showed in his portrayal of the deviously sly Andamo. The music conveys the humorous outlook on life in a delightfully disarming cha-cha.

The plot line of “Hatari!” describes the occupation of the men at Hatari as men hired to capture exotic animals for zoos, a notion which is considered politically incorrect and which for years kept this film off the air waves. However, there are some deft touches of humor here such as the efforts involved in recapturing stubborn ostriches who have broken loose from their pen. A country fiddle (possibly having something to do with Kentucky Fried Chicken?), a blues inflecte... MORE

A peculiar character of “Mr. Lucky” was the appearance of a one eyed black cat who always showed up whenever Lucky was in a jam. Unfortunately, the said cat was no Lassie and would only sit and watch things happen. After all, he was the mascot for the artwork that one would see at the beginning of every show! Mancini writes a cheeky view of this haughty feline starting off with a bassoon and muted trombones that graduates to a more deeper and possibly fatter version of the... MORE

In 1961, Henry Mancini recorded an album called “Mr. Lucky Goes Latin.” This in spite of the fact that the show was no longer on the air. However, the album of music from the show (Music From “Mr. Lucky”) was still a top seller. Into the recording studios went Mancini and out came this delightfully humorous album full of current Latin rhythms and harmonies. To start things off, “Mr. Lucky Goes Latin” is a take-off on the “Mr. Lucky” theme suitable for dancing the cha-cha-c... MORE

Since Count Basie was an iconic jazz figure at the time this film came out, “Big Band Bwana” uses the sparse piano style with the vivid contrasts in dynamics so characteristic of the Basie band. Vibes and alto sax get their licks in this brief piece which also has two trumpet challenges, one hot the other slightly more mellow. It’s great fun to listen to and the title itself could be used to describe a person’s personal music tastes!

This work represents the growing interest between the Swiss photographer and John Wayne’s character. The trombone set against gently muted strings brings a gentleness to the story and sets the mood perfectly. There’s a beautifully played passage for piano and alto flute before the trombone takes us into dreamland.

“That’s It and That’s All” is a swinging number beginning with a hot trumpet solo which leads into an equally vigorous performance on the Hammond B3 with a beautifully played ensemble piece for flutes ending on a delicate note by xylophone and bells.

“The Dancing Cat” refers to the one eyed cat whose presence on the record cover and the opening credits to “Mr. Lucky” as well as his presence on the show. The melodic line is a meandering samba saunter with an twisting solo on alto sax before the organist takes over to lead us to a surprise ending.

“Hatari!” in Swahili means “danger” and this film has plenty. Produced and filmed in 1962 in Africa, this film had Howard Hawks as the director. He originally had planned the film as a vehicle for both John Wayne and Clark Gable which was scuttled at the last minute by Gable’s death. Like all of Hawks’ films, this one is about relationships between the characters both humorous and serious with a lot of male bonding going on. The conflict comes in the guise of Elsa Martinel... MORE