A great little album of Latiny tunes from Henry Mancini – played by a very hip lineup of west coast jazzmen! The rhythms have a great mix of Latin influences and Mancini magic – the kind of grooves you'd hear on his 60s soundtracks at the time, played by a lineup that includes Bud Shank and Tom Scott on reeds, Buddy Childers and Pete Candoli on trumpets, Ray Brown on acoustic bass, Max Bennett on fender bass, Larry Bunker on percussion, and Shelly Manne on drums. The vibe is nice and relaxed – a bit more upbeat than bossa, but not as all-out as other RCA Latin sessions – thanks to Mancini's nice sense of warmth and space in the arrangements. Titles include some pretty darn cool takes on "Mission Impossible", "Fistful Of Dollars", "Magnificent Seven", "Touch Of Evil", and "Springtime For Hitler", from the film The Producers. Other titles include "Patricia", "Zacatecas", and "Las Cruces". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice 60s crime jazz from Mancini! Although Mancini's fame was made in the late 50s for his work on the classic Peter Gunn TV show, it's less known that he also did the score for the less-than-successful Peter Gunn film. Directed in 1967 by Blake Edwards, the film was a weak attempt to transfer the Gunn image to the big screen – but Mancini remained above the fray, as his solid scoring is just about the only thing we remember about the film today. The tracks include 60's remakes of some nice themes from the original show, plus a few other nice numbers thrown in for good measure. Recorded (as usual) in LA, with players like Bud Shank, Ray Brown, Plas Johnson, and Shelly Mann – and a set list that includes "Dreamsville", "Sky Watch", "A Bluish Bag", and "The Monkey Farm". LP, Vinyl record album

Henry Mancini's second album of stuff for the Peter Gunn TV show, and arguably better than the first one! The album's straight-ahead crime jazz – performed by a great set of players that includes Plas Johnson, Shelly Manne, Ted Nash, Paul Horn, and other west coasters. Tracks include "My Manne Shelly", "Timothy", "Goofin At The Coffee House", "Odd Ball", "Walkin' Bass", and "Spook!". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic! This is the record that made Mancini's career, and forever transformed the face of crime and jazz. The record's a stunning batch of instrumentals, played by a crack group of west coast players who also performed regularly in the TV show. Titles include the classic "Peter Gunn" theme, plus "Brothers Go To Mothers", "The Floater", "Brief & Breezy", "A Profound Gass", and "Dreamsville". LP, Vinyl record album

Mancini's light lilting groovy score to this flop of a film by Howard Hawks! Again, the score is better remembered than the film – probably because it gave the world the great cut "Baby Elephant Walk", a goofy little number that still gets churned up a lot today. There's lots of other nice bits like that one on here, including "Big Band Bwana", "Night Side", "Crocodile Go Home", and "Theme From Hatari". LP, Vinyl record album

The Latin sound is a groovy sound too – thanks to some great arrangements from the legendary Henry Mancini! The album's less a straight Latin date than it is a new approach to the grooves Mancini was laying down on his 60s soundtracks – a mix of bossa and cha cha-inspired themes that sparkle wonderfully with warm jazzy touches from a host of LA players who include Dick Nash on trombone, Harry Klee on flute, Ted Nash on alto and tenor, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Laurindo Almeida on guitar, and Gene Garf on organ – all working beautifully under Mancini's direction, with a sound that's both tight and relaxed at the same time! Lots of tracks have some nice groovy organ, which gives the arrangements a cool lively sound – and titles include "Preciosa", "Baia", "Carnavalito", "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars", "Tico Tico", and the nice "Senor Peter Gunn", a Latin remake of Mancini's big hit! LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, you've heard it a million times – but it's still a fantastic soundtrack! Henry Mancini's whimsical scoring is a perfect touch for this classic Peter Sellers film – and it's made even better by the LA group of musicians who play the music – including Plas Johnson on tenor, Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Pete Jolly on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Larry Bunker on percussion – all very groovy players who really know how to make the whole thing sparkle with just the right touches of jazz! The classic "Pink Panther Theme" should be familiar enough to you, but there's loads of other nice numbers – like "Something For Sellers", "Piano & Strings", "The Village Inn", "The Tiber Tiwst", and "Cortina". Lots of jaunty jazz numbers – with clever breakaway solos in the Mancini mode! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest Henry Mancini soundtracks of the 60s – a wonderful blend of jazzy themes and action moments, and a record that's possibly better-remembered than the film for which it was recorded! The main "Charade" theme is a total gem – performed here in both a guitar-heavy instrumental version and a cool vocal version with a Mancini chorus – but the other tunes are arguably even better, and range from Euro-styled numbers to Latin groovers, to some tenser dramatic moments. The recording quality is wonderful – filled with echo and space – and titles include "Orange Tamoure", "Punch & Judy", "Latin Snowfall", "Bateau Mouche", "Bistro", and "Mambo Parisienne". LP, Vinyl record album

Mancini's Hollywood material, admittedly with a couple of snoozers, but also it's share of timeless classics, like "Dreamsville" and "Days of Wine & Roses", plus some great versions of other film stuff like "Walk On The Wild Side" and Nino Rota's "Drink More Milk". LP, Vinyl record album

Kind of nutty stuff from this weird Blake Edwards film that starred James Coburn and Dick Shawn. The material's not as jazz-based as some of Mancini's other scores, but it does have a delightfully nutty sound that's in keeping with the kind of mad 60s film it was written for. The postwar memory of the film situates it in Italy, so a fair number of the melodies have slight Italian overtones – including "Sicily Forever", "Gina", "Wine and Women", and "Festa!". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer soundtrack from Henry Mancini – a record that's got both the terror promised in the title, and some sweeter moments that are pure Mancini all the way! Instrumentation is relatively jazzy overall – with some tight horn passages that shift between swinging saxes and lighter woodwind moments – a mixture of west coast cool and grittier elements that really does a nice job of marking the generation of the score. Players aren't listed, but we're betting they're some of Hank's hippest associates – and titles include "Flutter's Ball", "Kelly's Tune", "Tooty Twist", "Teen Age Hostage", "White On White", and "Down By The Wharf". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Henry Mancini's best soundtracks – made even better! The score for Mr. Lucky was a masterpiece of jazzy little themes – and it's always been one that we've loved way better than Peter Gunn or some of Mancini's other more famous work. Here, Mancini redoes that music with a west coast Latin feel – a cool blend of jazzy riffing and percussive rhythms – never as hard-hitting as other Latin work on RCA, which is part of the charm of the record. The rhythms are often a bit gentle, but step in nicely to give Mancini's music a nice little punch – and titles include "Mr Lucky Goes Latin", "Blue Mantilla", "Siesta", "The Sound Of Silver", "The Dancing Cat", and "Cow Bells & Coffee Beans". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the early years of Henry Mancini – a hip jazzy TV score that we've loved for years! The jazzy theme to "Mr Lucky" is reason enough to buy this album – as it's got these wonderful warm washes of sound, interlayed in a way that makes you wish the track went on and on and on again – but Mancini brilliantly follows that gem up with a host of wonderful other tunes – cool numbers that move past even the familiar crime jazz that Hank had given us on Peter Gunn, into a level of instrumental sophistication that set a whole new tone for the 60s generation to come. Other tunes include "Lightly Latin", "Tipsy", "One Eyed Cat", "Chime Time", and "March Of The Cue Balls", a Mancini classic if there ever was one! LP, Vinyl record album

A great Mancini score for one of the goofiest films of the 60s! Peter Sellers stars as the sitar-playing Indian actor Hrundi Bakshi – next to the lovely Claudine Longet, who makes one of her few film appearances – and the whole thing's set to one of the greatest scores ever by Henry Mancini! The tunes are very groovy – with a few chorus vocal numbers, and some other wonderful tracks that mix together bits of sitar, guitar, and horn blasts – creating a very lively instrumental groove. Plus, the music is played by a tight group of LA jazzmen – with Plas Johnson on tenor, Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Shelly Manne on drums – all musicians who really make things cook! Titles include instrumental and chorus versions of "Nothing To Lose", plus "Chicken Little Was Right", "Birdie Num Num", "Party Poop", "Wiggy", and "Brunette In Yellow". Swingin! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful soundtrack to one of our favorite American films of the 60s – the amazing Two For The Road, scored here beautifully by Henry Mancini! Mancini does a wonderful job of hitting the perfect blend of sentiment and whimsy to match the movie – offering some tunes that have a solid, serious feel – mixed with lighter numbers that make for nice mood changers, both on record and in the film. An orchestra is used on most numbers, occasionally with some European touches, given the setting of the movie – and a chorus performs one version of the theme, alongside two other instrumental ones. Titles include "The Chaser", "Something Loose", "Congarocka", "Happy Barefoot Boy", "The Lovely Life", and "The Donk". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Henry Mancini's grooviest LPs from the 70s – a mixture of tight large arrangements with a smooth funky edge, similar to some of his best soundtrack work at the time! The rhythm section is great – with Harvey Mason on drums and Joe Sample on keyboards, and guitar by David T Walker and Dennis Budimir – and the album also features some cool solos on instruments like African finger piano and piccolo trumpet. The whole thing bounces along with a majestic approach that's very full and complicated – yet also tight and funky! Lots of nice groovy tunes – and titles include "Sun Goddess", "Symphonic Soul", "Soul Saga", "African Symphony", "Slow Hot Wind", and "Satin Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

Quincy Jones meets Henry Mancini – and the result is an album that's as groovy as it is jazzy – every bit as wonderful as you might expect, and with a few surprising touches as well! Given that Mancini's tunes are already pretty darn great on their own – and plenty jazzy too – it's amazing to hear Quincy transform them for the record, bringing in some of the styles that would show up even more strongly in his own 60s soundtrack work – clever instrumental twists, occasional electric moments, and a growing sensitivity we never would have expected in his music a decade before. There's loads of lovely reeds – courtesy of Jerome Richardson, Seldon Powell, Zoot Sims, and Roland Kirk – and other players include Gary Burton on vibes, Mundell Lowe on guitar, Toots Thielemans on harmonica, and Phil Krauss on percussion. Titles include "Baby Elephant Walk", "Charade", "Dreamsville", "Bird Brain", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "Mr Lucky", "Pink Panther", "Moon River", "Peter Gunn", and "Odd Ball". LP, Vinyl record album

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Dramatic music from the Sirk film Written On The Wind – with even cooler music on the flipside – the "Rhapsody For Four Girls In Town", with piano from Andre Previn, trumpet from Ray Linn, and orchestrations by Henry Mancini! LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from Brit easy bandleader John Gregory – an assortment of 70s police and crime themes, played by a big band with a nice soundtrack-y finish! Nearly all the tunes are uptempo, and the feel of the record is very much in the same vein as Henry Mancini's Cop Show Themes album – although perhaps with a bit less electronics. Titles include "Cannon", "The Rockford Files", "Kojak", "Six Million Dollar Man" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Great jazz version of Henry Mancini's famous score – played by Eddie Harris and his killer Chicago group from the old days – a very cool lineup that includes the young Charles Stepney on vibes, plus Willie Pickens on piano! There's a great bunch of tracks here besides the hit "Moon River" – like "Sally's Tomato", "Mr Yunioshi", "Latin Golightly", and "The Big Heist" – and Eddie and crew do an excellent job with the music, opening it up more than Mancini's recording, but still retaining all of its humor and warmth! LP, Vinyl record album

Henry Mancini "introduces" and produces this one, and it features his organ player running through a bunch of short ditties – a number of them Mancini titles like "Mr. Lucky" and "Days of Wine and Roses". The best cut on here, though, is a nice tight version of "Killer Joe", done with a stripped down studio feel that's mighty nice! Features Ray Brown on bass and Shelly Manne on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the records that put a young Brother Jack McDuff on the map – and a perfect example of the rougher R&B roots that first emerged in his early work on the Hammond! The session's got a much more down-n-dirty feel than some of McDuff's tighter 60s quartet work – and offers a nice bridge between 50s use of the organ in R&B, and the growing soul jazz take on the instrument that McDuff was helping to forge at the time. The group's a real cooker too – with some great work on guitar by a young Grant Green, smoking tenor from Jimmy Forrest, and lyrically dancing drums from the great Ben Dixon. Titles include the great original "Whap!", plus versions of "I Want A Little Girl" and "The Honeydripper" – and an excellent reading of Henry Mancini's "Mr Lucky", virtually worth the price of the record alone! LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn groovy soundtrack – one of Neal Hefti's best of the 60s, and the score to a silly sex comedy that starred Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis! Fran Jeffries sings vocals on a few cuts – like "Sex & The Single Girl" and "Anniversary Song" – but the best tunes are the instrumentals, which mix together a lot of electric harpsichord (ala Odd Couple), a bit of flute, and which have a style that's in the mode of the best Quincy Jones or Henry Mancini scoring from the time! Titles include "Legs", "The Game", "Midnight Swim", "City Style", "I Must Know", and "I've Got Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A spy film – and with a mix of jazz and orchestral themes that's similar to some of Henry Mancini's work from the same time. The main theme is nice and jazzy, with some good guitar, and a great crime theme sound. Two other nice tracks are "The Pussy Willow Club" and "Pussy Willow Girl" – both with a loungey groove that's again a bit Mancini-ish. Other numbers include "Waltz For A Spy", "The Compound", and "Piano Prelude". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent collection of the main themes from a bunch of great 70s soundtracks! 13 tracks in all: "A Clockwork Orange" by Wendy Carlos, "Dirty Harry", "Bullitt" and "Enter The Dragon" by Lalo Schifrin, "O Lucky Man" by Alan Price, "Laura's Them" from The Thief Who Came To Dinner by Henry Mancini, "Cleopatra Jones" by JoeSimon, "Day For Night" by George Delerue, "Duelling Banjos" from Deliverance by Eric Weisberg, "Summer Of '42" by Michel Legrand, "Gone Dead Train" from Performance by Jack Nitzche with Randy Newman, "Caine's Theme" from Kung Fu by Jim Helms, and "They're Letting MeDrive" from Steelyard Blues. LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful TV soundtrack work from Skip Martin – who's really giving Henry Mancini a run for his money in the crime jazz department! Martin's score for the Mike Hammer show here is totally great – penned with a range of styles that run from swinging to sentimental – all handled by a top-shelf crew of west coast jazz players that includes Ted Nash on flute and alto, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Bud Shank on alto, Don Fagerquist and Pete Candoli on trumpet, and Pete Jolly on piano. Titles include "Bad Guys", "Coffee House", "Like Mike", "Summer Mood", "Corn Pone Woman", and "Riff Blues". LP, Vinyl record album