TT 393: Henry Mancini: A WARM SHADE OF IVORY and "Moment to Moment"
the composer at the piano offers well-produced easy listening
(This is the second quick post today for the centenary.)
As far as I know, Henry Mancini made only one album that features his piano playing, A Warm Shade of Ivory from 1969.
The LP is a mellow affair, where Mancini’s piano declaims pretty melodies against a rich backdrop of horns, strings, and the occasional wordless chorus. There are no drums, but an excellent rhythm guitarist and electric bassist keep the charts moving along. (It is a truly regrettable oversight that these musicians aren’t credited, for they are the backbone throughout the whole LP, especially the guitarist.) The repertoire was as contemporary as Mancini could make it, mostly movie and pop songs from the previous few years.
The tracks are a bit self-same, so it’s definitely “mood music.” An Amazon reviewer says that the album is, “Ideal for listening while dining under candlelight or entertaining guests.” Certainly true.
For the deeper listener, there’s a spotlight shown on “pop” orchestral texture. Of course, this was Mancini’s bread and butter, nobody did it better. How about brass to start? Then some strings for the second verse? Naturally, an electric harpsichord will back the vocal “ahs and oohs” towards the end. Perfect.
As a pianist, Mr. Mancini does not have exactly flawless rhythm, so a few phrases land in lumpy places. The brisker keyboard runs are reasonably pedestrian. The one tune that swings, “Dream a Little Dream of Me," is wisely hidden at the end. But the instrument is well-recorded and the final effect is inviting. Mancini was right to feature his pianism in this album-length context.
The hit was “Love Theme (from Romeo and Juliet” by Nino Rota, you might have heard that in a grocery store sometime.
But the best track is the only theme from Mancini himself, “Moment to Moment.” In its way, this is as good as it gets:
The song has lyrics by Johnny Mercer and was written for a 1966 Hitchcock-styled movie starring Jean Seberg. Astonishingly, one of the theatrical trailers of Moment to Moment highlights Mancini as a reason to see the film:
Other famous recordings of “Moment to Moment” include Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra and Freddie Hubbard; the Hubbard has a Don Sebesky arrangement that seems indebted to the version on A Warm Shade of Ivory.
The 1960s were coming to a close. The glamorous world of complex harmony supporting creative melody in instrumental pop was receding into nostalgia. Indeed, A Warm Shade of Ivory might have already seemed dated the day it was released. Oh, but we are so glad this one made it through to the finish line, though!
#ManciniAt100
Update: Rob Fletcher tells me of Mancini's SIX HOURS PAST SUNSET, which it seems like a companion to A WARM SHADE OF IVORY, from the same year and with the same great rhythm guitarist.