Composer, arranger and conductor Henry Mancini is renowned for his involvement in music for the movies, none more so than his memorable and legendary collaboration with lyricist Johnny Mercer on “Moon River” for the classic Audrey Hepburn film “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”. However, he also wrote and recorded non-movie material for singles and albums, and this collection dips into both strands of his work during the early era of his recording career. This great-value 52-track 2-CD set comprises A & B sides of his s singles during these years on the Liberty, Coral and RCA labels, plus selected titles from his Liberty album “Driftwood And Dreams” and his RCA albums “The Blues And The Beat” and “Combo”, which included arrangements of pop standards as well as his own compositions. It features his hits from this era, including the Academy Award winning “Moon River” and “Days Of Wine And Roses”, plus the themes from “Mr. Lucky”, “The Great Impostor” and “Hatari”. Other movie and TV music featured in the set includes the themes from “Peter Gunn”, “The Brothers Karamazov”, “Experiment In Terror” and “Phaedra” plus “Baby Elephant Walk” from “Hatari”. It’s a fascinating and varied showcase for Mancini’s unique skill as a composer of screen music but also offers a window onto his wider contribution to popular music.
