With selections by Ray Anthony, Yma Sumac, Billy May & His Afro Cubans, Les Paul, Hollywood Bowl Symphony, Concert Art Percussionists, Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Hollywood String Quartet, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Liner notes written by Charles Fowler. LP, Vinyl record album

(Global Grooves, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

(Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

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 really cool solo album from Arif Mardin – the arranger who turned out so much wonderful work for soul singers in the 60s, 70s, and 80s – a legacy that includes some of the most important recordings for Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan! Yet here, Arif's out on his own in an instrumental setting – working in this very hip, very groovy late 60s mode that ties together all the best currents happening on Atlantic Records at the time – soul music, mod jazz, and even a bit of Latin and Brazil – all wrapped up into a sparkling set of arrangements from the man himself! Titles include a number of covers, but redone by Mardin in a really great way – and tracks include the great original "Midnight Walk" – plus "Glass Onion", "Sympathy For the Devil", "Walk On By", "Listen Here", and "Ain't No Way". (Soul, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album