Henry Mancini, His Piano, Orchestra And Chorus – Mancini Country & Country Gentleman (2016)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 63:07 minutess | Scans included | 2,71 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,2 GB

Enrico Nicola “Henry” Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, who is best remembered for his film and television scores. If the recognition of one’s peers is the true measure of success, then few men are as successful as composer, arranger, and conductor Henry Mancini. In a career that spanned 40 years, writing for film and television, Mancini won four Oscars and twenty Grammys, the all-time record for a pop artist. This SACD release combines 2 LP on 1 SACD – “Mancini Country” (1970) & “Country Gentleman” (1974).

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Henry Mancini – Ultimate Mancini (2004)
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 58:55 minutes | Scans included | 3,99 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | 58:50 mins | Scans included | 1,13 GB
Features 2.0 Stereo and 5.1 multichannel surround sound

Henry Mancini is an American Icon. Now with the 80th anniversary of his birth and the issuing of a commemorative stamp by the U.S. Postal Service, singer Monica Mancini and an all-star lineup of guest artists including Stevie Wonder, Take 6, Tom Scott, Kenny Rankin, Joey DeFrancesco, Gary Burton and saxophonist Plas Johnson, who updates his classic recording of “The Pink Panther Theme” (it’s the Panther’s birthday, too: number 40) join together to celebrate Hank’s greatest Oscar and GRAMMY-nominated hits. Concord Records invites you to join in the celebration of the definitive Hollywood composer and the definitive Mancini collection (in spectacular Hybrid Multichannel SACD Surround Sound); Ultimate Mancini.

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Henry Mancini – Six Hours Past Sunset & A Warm Shade Of Ivory (1969) [Reissue 2016]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 63:47 minutes | Scans included | 3,44 GB
or DSD64 Stereo (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Full Scans included | 2,53 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,15 GB
2LP on 1 SACD | Features Stereo and Quadrophonic Surround Sound | Label: Vocalion # CDLX 7334
Genre: Jazz, Easy Listening

Two laidback gems from Henry Mancini – back to back on a single CD! Six Hours Past Sunset is moody and mellow – and perfect for late nite listening! The album has the tinkling piano of Mancini set over lush orchestrations – breezy, yet dark at the same time, outwardly simple, but filled with complex riffing and sophisticated washes of color and emotion. The larger group features a few horn soloists, but the real focus is on Mancini’s piano – which peppers each track with sprinkles of sound, darting in and out of the more complicated arrangements. Titles include “Traces”, “Midnight Cowboy”, “Two For The Road”, “Didn’t We”, “Six Hours Past Sunset”, and “Theme From The Fox”. Warm Shade Of Ivory is lovely late nite Mancini! The album has Mr. M’s tinkling piano set amidst dark moody arrangements that bank the piano in warm washes of strings and light lilting rhythms – all moving at a slow somber pace that’s perfect for a summer night with the lights down low, the windows open, relaxing in a big easy chair with a drink while the breeze and the sounds of the summer waft over the room. The record is subtle, but a wonderful example of Mancini’s continuing instrumental genius. Titles include “Watch What Happens”, “Day In The Life Of A Fool”, “Cycles”, “Meditation”, “When I Look In Your Eyes”, and “Moment To Moment”.

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Henry Mancini – Return Of The Pink Panther & Symphonic Soul (1975) [Reissue 2018]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 70:57 minutes | Basic Scans included | 3,09 GB
or DSD64 Stereo (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 71:23 | Basic Scans included | 2,82 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | 71:23 | Basic Scans | 1,36 GB
2LP on 1SACD | Features Stereo and Multichannel surround sound | Label: Vocalion # CDSML 8535

Two cool Henry Mancini album – one soundtrack, and one sweet set of instrumentals! Return Of The Pink Panther is a surprisingly groovy record – and one that’s very different from the original Pink Panther soundtrack. Symphonic Soul is 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.

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Henry Mancini – Hangin’ Out & Theme from Z (1974 & 1970) [Reissue 2019]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 57:46 minutes | Scans NOT included | 2,51 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/96 kHz | Scans NOT included | 1,22 GB
2 LP on 1 SACD | Features Stereo and Quadrophonic Surround Sound | Vocalion # CDSML 8553 | Genre: Easy Listening

This is easy listening Henry Mancini, not jazzy “Peter Gunn” Henry Mancini, but darn good easy listening. As with the other Vocalion surround Mancini releases, what really makes this worth the listen is the nicely balanced surround mix. There are no gimmicks. Surround is used here to spread out the music and give it depth, which makes it perfect for easy listening (and perhaps, an accompanying martini at the end of a hectic day).

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