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Jazz Articles about Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini: The Genius Composer - 25th Anniversary Edition
by Nazareno Bicocchi
The Personal Bond with Henry Mancini: The genius composer who redesigned my world through his magical notes My first encounter with Henry Mancini didn't happen by a deliberate choice, but through a cassette recorder and a local radio station in Rome. It was 1998, and at sixteen, I was a young musician obsessed with searching for the timbres of the most diverse musical instruments. I spent my afternoons recording Radio Vaticana Musica specials on cassettes, using their broadcasts to study ...
Continue ReadingHenry Mancini: The Architect of Sound
by Nazareno Bicocchi
Henry Mancini was not merely Hollywood's most celebrated composer; he was the vital bridge between the Golden Age of Big Bands and cinematic modernism. His genius lay in his ability to be a “melodic tailor," capable of dressing every scene with an unprecedented sonic palette. Born to Abruzzese immigrants--his father, Quinto, played the flute in a local steel mill band--Mancini carried within him a Mediterranean lyricism that he masterfully fused with the precision of American jazz. This selection for “Building ...
Continue ReadingJazz Interpretations Of The Film Music Of Henry Mancini, Part 2
by Larry Slater
Henry Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland to Italian immigrant parents. He is universally acknowledged as one of the great American film composers, and his melodies have long appealed to jazz artists. Mancini had an affinity for jazz. In the '50s and early '60s he led his own jazz big band that included the brothers Ted Nash, Sr. and Dick Nash on saxophone and trombone. Ted Nash, a saxophonist who spent ...
Continue ReadingJazz Interpretations of the film music of Henry Mancini, Part 1
by Larry Slater
Henry Mancini was one of the greatest composers in the history of film, and many of Mancini's scores swung. Henry Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland to Italian immigrant parents. It's no surprise that many of Mancini's tunes have jazz sensibilities because he had deep jazz roots. While still in school, he wrote an arrangement for Benny Goodman, and later served as pianist and arranger for the posthumous Glenn Miller band. ...
Continue Reading"Charade" by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer
by Tish Oney
Ever known for his peerless and timeless musical masterpieces created for the silver screen, Henry Mancini (1924-1994) opened the 1963 motion picture, “Charade," starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, with a masterfully written theme bearing the same title. Over his storied career, Mancini won six Grammy awards plus fourteen additional nominations as well as a slew of Oscar and Golden Globe nominations and wins for his film and stage compositions, among several additional awards. His 1961 classic, “Moon River," also ...
Continue ReadingHenry Mancini: Jazz & Cocktails
by Michael Ricci
A swinging collection of Hank tunes for when you're lounging on the chaise. Don't forget the bitters! TrackNameTimeArtistAlbum1Moon River Cha Cha2:37Henry ManciniMartinis With Mancini2Something For Sellers2:50Henry Mancini & His OrchestraMartinis With Mancini3Tippin' In (Marty Symes—Bobby Smith)3:49Henry ManciniThe Blues And The Beat4Something Loose2:49Henry ManciniMartinis With Mancini5Sidewalks Of Cuba3:20Ramon RiveraCombo!6Playboy's Theme2:58Henry ManciniMartinis With Mancini7The Pink Panther2:37Henry ManciniL'arte Dell'orchestra8Moanin'2:53Ramon RiveraCombo!9Megeve3:01Henry Mancini & His OrchestraMartinis With Mancini10Mambo Parisienne2:34Henry Mancini & His OrchestraMartinis With Mancini11Loose Caboose3:09Henry ManciniMartinis With Mancini12It Had Better Be ...
Continue ReadingMancini Magic: An Interview with Ginny Mancini
by Victor L. Schermer
Henry Mancini (1924-1994) was much more than one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He was--and will always be--a “sphere of influence." His music--from “Moon River" to “Days of Wine and Roses," “The Pink Panther," “Charade," and “Peter Gunn"--formed the backdrop for the lives and entertainment of several generations of Americans and the wide world beyond. His composing and arranging for the cinema and television became the “gold standard" for similar work. His devoted efforts as a conductor of ...
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