(This is the third quick post for the centenary today.)
Thanks to Larry Slater for alerting me of a priceless document, an hour of Henry Mancini playing and talking to Marian McPartland for Piano Jazz in 1985.
At this time Mancini was mostly touring as a special guest with orchestras, although he had also recently finished scoring The Thorn Birds, and there were four themes running on current TV shows, Hotel, Newhart, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, and Remington Steele.
Mancini is modest and deferential, and seems very happy to be on the radio show talking to someone who really understands what he’s all about.
He first learned jazz standards by ear at the piano, and then loved big band music. He didn’t have a composition or arranging teacher besides a Frank Skinner book from 1935.
I had a moment when Mancini plays the opening cluster on “The Pink Panther,” for I suppose I could almost trace my entire life back to this chord. (The Pink Panther movies and cartoons were childhood favorites.)
My guess is that the swinging bass line is played by McPartland, the much more confident jazz professional in this situation.
Mancini says that the Peter Gunn theme was a rock and roll bass line with West Coast jazz horns on top. No doubt!!
“Mr. Lucky” was more of a pure jazz piece. McPartland plays it beautifully.
It was interesting to hear Mancini confirm that he rarely wrote songs without a commission from film or television, and also that his piano soloist era began with A Warm Shade of Ivory. (See previous post.)
On “Dreamsville” the two pianists sound like one player. I suspect Mancini is playing the version he worked out to tour with orchestras, while McPartland was a master of making any of her guests feel comfortable.
They spend some time discussing lyricist Johnny Mercer before McPartland plays “Charade.”
It turns out Jack Lemmon was a good pianist (new information to me; there are clips on YouTube). Mancini says he was looking to write something “that you’ve almost heard before” with “The Days of Wine and Roses” and credits French hornist Vincent DeRosa (an important collaborator). He even goes into remarkable detail about the unresolved ending of the film. The duo performance is stately; I’ve noted before that Mancini’s own changes are notably different (and better) that what usually is heard on “The Days of Wine and Roses” at a jazz jam session. Mancini admits that of anything he written, “The Days of Wine and Roses” has found the most favor with the jazz cats, and compares it for this reason to Bronislau Kaper’s “On Green Dolphin Street.”
Jazz aside, of course the song the larger culture knows Mancini for best is “Moon River,” and McPartland plays a nice solo version that goes through a few keys and styles.
Holy mackerel, Marian calls him “Hank.” What??? “Hank Mancini???” My worldview has suddenly adjusted slightly….
“Hank” Mancini says “Baby Elephant Walk” is an anthem like Irving Berlin but for elephants, and that he will start with a little Freddie Slack, like “Down The Road Apiece.” (Freddie Slack is all but forgotten today, a white cat from Wisconsin who played big-band boogies and backed Ella Mae Morse. Slack rates a positive mention by Hampton Hawes in Raise Up Off of Me.) McPartland says she wants to blow a bit on this one, and Mancini says, “Sure, just nod when you want to go home.”
Mancini gently proclaims the famous elephant boogie bass with both hands (doubled at the octave) and McPartland plays the blues.
#ManciniAt100