Customer Reviews

Henry Mancini : Pink Guitar

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"Pink Guitar" is a terrific collection of the all time favorite Henry Mancini tunes magically executed by "the world's greatest acoustic guitarists" and there's something for everyone on this fabulous CD.

Think I'm kidding? Where else could a baby boomer like me indulge herself in brilliant renditions of songs ranging from "Moon River" and "The Sweetheart Tree"(which will bring tears to your eyes) to the theme from the '70s tv show, "What's Happening?" and "The Baby Elephant Walk" (and I dare you not to crack a smile when you hear these two)? Each tune is masterfully executed not only in technique but in the "heart" of the artists' respective playing as well. Great memories....

I hope that more collections such as "Pink Guitar" will continue to be produced so that these timeless melodies can be introduced to the kids of the baby boomers and that the brilliance of composers such as Henry Mancini will live on. Kudos to Warner Bros. and Solid Air Records for taking the road less travelled; in a smog filled world, "Pink Guitar" is truly a breath of fresh air.

The album opens with the Pink Panther Theme, but there is no mystery here - this CD is a must have.

As one of Hank's songs goes "IT'S EASY TO SAY" this album "HENRY MANCINI: PINK GUITAR", won for "Best Pop Instrumental Album of the Year 2004" (47th Grammy Winner)...what a treasure of music "Our Man In Hollywood", (Henry Mancini - real name:Enrico Nicola Mancini)...left behind for all of his old and new fans to enjoy...remember most of these were composed in the '60s '70s and '80s... I can imagine Hank sitting at the piano as his loving family stand around him listening to acoustic guitar solos by "The World's Greatest Acoustic Guitarists".

Typical Mancini compositions flourish with his distinctive crisp, bracing, yet unfailingly melodic contribution to the listener...the album songs are listed in alphabetical order with guitarists and film credits:

A SHOT IN THE DARK - Mark Hanson & Doug Smith (from the film "A Shot in the Dark" - Peter Sellers)
BABY ELEPHANT WALK - William Coulter (from the film "Hatari" - John Wayne & Red Buttons)
CHARADE - Aaron Stang (from the film "Charade" - Cary Grant & Audrey Hepburn)
DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES - David Cullen (from the film "Days of Wine & Roses" - Jack Lemmon & Lee Remmick)
DEAR HEART - Wayne Johnson (from the film "Dear Heart" - Glenn Ford & Geraldine Paige)
IT'S EASY TO SAY - Doug Smith (from the film "10" - Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews & Bo Derek)
MOON RIVER - Ed Gerhard (from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard & Mickey Rooney)
PETER GUNN - Pat Donohue (from "Peter Gunn" Television Series - Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn)
PINK PANTHER THEME - Laurence Juber (from the "Pink Panther" film series - Peter Sellers & Herbert Lom)
SWEETHEART TREE - Mark Hanson (from "The Great Race" - Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis & Natalie Wood)
THORNBIRDS THEME - Al Petteway (from "The Thornbirds" Television Mini-Series)
TWO FOR THE ROAD - Amrit Sond (from the film "Two for the Road" - Audrey Hepburn & Albert Finney)
WHAT'S HAPPENING - Mike Dowling (from "What's Happening" Television Series)

Henry Mancini is no longer with us (4/16/1924 - Cleveland Ohio to 6/14/1994 - Los Angeles,California), but this wonderful collection of his music, will be a constant reminder that he was here and made the difference...worked with Blake Edwards on "Peter Gunn" (1958-1961 - Television Series - won two Grammy's for the album), he and Edwards gave us the film "Breakfast at Tiffanys" (1961) where Hank won two Oscars...Mancini picked up more Oscars for the title song "Days Of Wine and Roses" (1962) and the score for "Victor/Victoria" (1982), featuring Julie Andrews, James Garner and Robert Preston...Mancini will best be remembered for the themes on "The Pink Panther"...now sit back as you have a "Mancini Moment", listening to the latest release "Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar", savor and enjoy, when you realize Hank Mancini was one of a kind!

Time: 45:00 on 13 Tracks ~ Solid Air 2048 ~ (8/17/2004)

Just came back from the Grammy's...

Pink Guitar won the Grammy in a category with a bunch of very talented artists.

other nominees:
Boney James - Pure
Dave Koz - Saxophonic
various artists - Forever, For Always, For Luther
Mason Williams - EP 2003: Music For The Epicurean Harkener

Congratulations to Producer James Jensen and all the contributing artists!!!:

Aaron Stang
Al Petteway
Amrit Sond
David Cullen
Doug Smith
Doug Smith & Mark Hanson
Ed Gerhard
Laurence Juber
Mark Hanson
Mike Dowling
Pat Donohue
Wayne Johnson
William Coulter

This CD also has a companion Guitar Book available which includes a lesson CD (with contributions from all the artists)

Virtuosic performances of creative Mancini arrangements by today's acoustic guitar stars. It's easy on the ears and perfect dinner music. The Pink Panther theme is outstanding.

I've been a fan of some of these performers for a time. I have several of Mark Hanson's instructional books (which by the way are excellent). It's nice to hear him play in a performance. Laurence Juber is incredible with his rendition of Pink Panther. A few years ago I sat about 5 feet from him while he played and there is no doubt in my mind that he absolutely owns his guitar. I'm also now a fan of some others on the CD. I had heard of Pat Donohue but never listened to him play. Color me impressed. He plays the Peter Gunn theme better than I thought it could be played on one guitar. My other favorite on this CD is Ed Gerhard playing Moon River. What a magnificent song....played with great feeling.

I'm an amateur (very amateur) fingerstyle player and can somewhat grasp how skilled these performers are. They are top notch.... every one of them. If you're a guitar fan, you need to buy this CD.

As soon as I heard the first cut of this, I had an epiphany, a revelation, if you will. That's what I'm talking about, that's the sound I've been searching for. The acoustic guitar has such a beautiful sound, especially as heard on this recording. The line up of guitarists is nothing short of spectacular.

Laurence Jubar kicks it off with one of Mancini's best known compositions: The Pink Panther. We barely miss the tenor sax of Plas Johnson here, so enthralling is the guitar work and arrangement. Just amazing that this is a solo guitar arrangement. Was there overdubbing? All the cuts are solo, apparantly, except for the last, a duet on Shot In The Dark. These two cuts book end a great recording perfectly.

Nelson Riddle and all of the other musicians who worked in Hollywood were jealous of Hank, because he made all the money on song writing credits. Nelson would be writing out arrangements for Sinatra, or Linda Ronstadt, or scoring films and TV, but then he'd be paid once, and that was it. Mancini, on the other hand, would come up with beautiful melodies, and the royalties would just keep rollin' in.

I remember the song Moonriver because Andy Williams had a TV show, and that was his theme song. It was such a beautiful song, with that haunting melody. Later, I saw the film it was written for, Breakfast at Tiffany's. Audrey Hepburn really kills as Holly Golightly. Paul Desmond and Dave Brubeck were recording, and someone said they wanted to see Audrey Hepburn walking by the riverside, and they just let the tape roll and recorded one of their best tunes ever, Audrey. But Mancini was lucky enough to have written tunes for 3 of her films. Besides the aforementioned, where Audrey starred with George Peppard, Henry also wrote the title songs for Charade, where Audrey played with Cary Grant, and Two For the Road, with Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney.

One other thing about Moonriver, lyricist Johnny Mercer had a line in it, "My Huckleberry friend," and no one knew what it meant and they wanted him to take it out. Of course, he refused, and later Mercer's biography was titled My Huckleberry Friend.

Mancini had a whimsical side as well, as in Baby Elephant Walk from the film Hatari, with John Wayne and Red Buttons. He could be very dramatic, as in Peter Gunn. And how about the title song to Days of Wine and Roses,
with Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick? Henry Mancini was very cinematic, and no wonder he won all those Oscars.

Great songs in a fabulous setting. There is nothing but excellent playing here, and Mark Hanson & Doug Smith, William Coulter, Aaron Stang, David Cullen, Wayne Johnson, Doug Smith, Ed Gerhard, Pat Donohue, Laurence Juber, Mark Hanson, Al Petteway, Amrit Sond, and Mike Dowling deserve much applause and a standing ovation.

This album won the 2004 Grammy for best instrumental album.

Rest in peace, Henry Mancini (4/16/1924 - Cleveland Ohio to 6/14/1994 - Los Angeles,California), your music will live forever.

This CD is wonderful. I love Henri Mancini and when I saw a guitar version of his work by various guitarists, I scooped it up immediately. I love it when guitarists collaborate and produce beautiful work like this. I hope they do more CDs like this in themes!

One of my favorite guitarists, Mike Dowling, plays on this record. Since I have all of his CD's, I eventually had to get this one, even if he only plays on one track. I was a bit worried that the Mancini source would lead to sacharine work. Wrong. Each guitarist, and all are masterful, presents the music within his own style. The tunes selected are both part of our common culture, and in some cases not so familiar. The results are outstanding, across the board.