A double set of soundtrack material for the late Alfred Hitchcock film Frenzy – the music used in the film done by Ron Goodwin, and a whole batch of never-used tracks that were initially created for the movie by Henry Mancini! The balance of sounds here is great – as the Goodwin material has a vibe that's maybe a bit more British in terms of the style used in that nation's big epics of the 60s, including a few that Ron scored himself – while the Mancini music is oddly dark, much more so than his American hits of the 60s – and so much so that even Hitchcock himself thought the whole thing was too moody for the movie! The restoration of both scores is wonderful – and the CD features 16 tracks by Goodwin, including some rare alternate material – and another 16 by Mancini, presented here for the first time ever – along with some additional description tracks too. CD

The super-sound of Henry Mancini, served up here in a special SACD set! The first half of the package features cuts from two different RCA albums that collect together some of the best of Mancini's music from the 60s – key soundtrack numbers and other instrumentals – in a lineup of tracks that includes "Charade", "Hatari", "Peter Gunn", "Lujon", "Breakfast At Tiffany's", "The Brothers Go To Mothers", "Pink Panther", "Dear Heart", "Cheers", and "Baby Elephant Walk". Concert Sound has Mancini working with larger orchestrations than usual, in an expansion of his usual 60s groove! The tracks here are all somewhat long – suite-type numbers made up from smaller songs wrapped together in new Mancini arrangements that have a really cool feel in this setting! The orchestra is somewhat large, with strings and woodwinds – but in true Mancini fashion, there's also key solos from players who include Pete Candoli and Conrad Gozzo on trumpet, Dick Nash on trombone, Ted Nash on alto sax, and Jimmy Rowles on piano. Titles include "Peter Gunn Meets Mr Lucky", "The Music Of David Rose", "Academy Award Selections", and "A Tribute To Victor Young". Mancini Salutes Sousa is a very weird one – as Henry Mancini pays tribute to the work of John Philip Sousa! As you'd expect from Sousa's marches, most of the work has a parade band military sound – and Mancini, despite his grooviness, hardly breaks format to change the style of the work. The approach has touches of some of Mancini's more military soundtrack work – and the recording quality definitely has a classic Hollywood approach – but overall, it's still Sousa. Titles include "The Gladiator", "Washington Post", "National Fencibles", "The Thunderer", and "Drum Corps". CD set also features the rare bonus track "Man Of The World" – originally only on a 7" single! CD

A wonderful combination of talents – and a great idea for an album! The great LA pianist Jack Wilson is working here with his group that includes Roy Ayers on vibes – and they've got some extra backing from Brazilian players Chico Batera and Sebastiao Neto on percussion, plus "Tony Brazil" on guitar – a name that we're guessing might stand in for a much more famous player! The tunes have that wonderful lyrical vibe that Wilson and Ayers created together – but set to the magic of Henry Mancini – whose tunes are not just a perfect fit for Wilson's ideas on the keys, but which also really take off here in some very different ways. The set's got a completely sublime version of "Sally's Tomato" – and other titles include "Dear Heart", "Blue Satin", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Night Flower", "Lujon", "Mr Lucky", and "Softly". CD

Some of the funkiest work we've ever heard from the great Polish jazzman Jerzy Milian – working here in the late 70s, and with a larger ensemble too – all in a level that's often got plenty of cop/crime soundtrack influence in the grooves! Milian's vibes are still in the mix somewhere, but the main focus is on the larger sound of the group – who maybe come across like some of the best funky Henry Mancini music from a few years before! There's keyboards on most numbers, and some added strings – and at points, there's even some very groovy wordless vocals – while Milian gets a bit of help from Andrzej Minkacz and Andrzej Marko directing the group. Titles include "Nemezja", "Pan Prominent", "Posejdona Humory", "Barabara", "Bernina", "Czarne Lusterko", and "Lysy W Kolysce" – plus versions of "Umbrellas Of Cherbourg", "How Deep Is Your Love", and "Hey Jude". CD features four bonus tracks – "Aria", "Co Kumo Sie Sni", "Prized Pojednaniem", and "Cheek To Cheek". CD

A late live moment of brilliance from Roy Budd – the British pianist who first cut some great jazz records in the 60s, then went on to create some sublime soundtracks in the 70s – working here in a trio setting that brings together the best of both worlds, and adds in some surprising bossa nova touches too! All tracks are nice and long, performed with piano from Budd, drums from Chris Karan, and bass from Pete Morgan – the latter of whom also sings a bit – in a set that's also got a very unusual approach, in that it's part of a 24 hour "playathon" to raise awareness on issues of drug abuse – a performance that also features some surprising guest appearances from Jeremy Irons and Henry Mancini. But obviously, the best bits are the instrumental ones – as Budd makes it through an 18 minute "Michel Legrand Suite", a 10 minute blend of "Anoiteceu/Berimbau", a 14 minute take on "Upa Neguinho/Aguas De Marco/Opao/Corcovado", and some other nice surprises too. CD

A set that's maybe worth it for the title track alone – a fantastic reading of the Henry Mancini classic "Two For The Road", taken by David Schnitter in a wonderfully soulful style – raspy in tone, but with all the melodic genius of the tune itself! Schnitter is beautiful on the rest of the record, too – a date that really reminds us what a master of tone and phrasing he can be on his best records – a very distinct player, and one who is sometimes even bringing a different tenor voice to each track on the set, in ways that give the album a hell of a lot of depth. Other group members include Yaniv Tabenhouse on piano, Masa Kamaguchi on bass, and Jorge Rossy on drums – and also on vibes on three of the album's eleven tracks. Titles include a great reading of the Horace Silver tune "Barbara" – plus "Two For The Road", "Consolation", "Conception", "Blues For John", "Obscurity", "Out Of Nowhere", and "Ugly Beauty". CD