Breakfast at Tiffany's (CD - 1961)

Recorded on December 8, 1960 and April 27, 1961. Originally released on RCA (2362).

Composer: Henry Mancini.

Personnel: Henry Mancini (piano); Tom Kenny, Gilda Maiken, John Drake, Sue Allen, Bernie Parke (vocals); Bob Bain (guitar, mandola); Alton Hendrickson, Laurindo Almeida (guitar); Sam Freed, Nathan Kaproff, Herman Clebanoff, Marvin Limonick, Erno Neufeld, Benny Gill, Ambrose Russo, Samuel Cytron, Lou Klass, Irma Neumann, Joe Stepansky, Mort Herbert, William Miller, Nathan Ross, Eudice Shapiro (violin); Victor Gottlieb, Alexander Neiman, Robert Ostrowsky, Milton Thomas (viola); Armand Karpoff, Raphael Kramer, Edgar Lustgarten (cello); Ethmer Roten (flute, bass flute); George Fields (harmonica); Carl Fortina (accordion); Arnold Koblentz (oboe); Ronald Langinger, Wilbur Schwartz (reeds, saxophone); Justin Gordon (saxophone); Frank Beach, Jack Sheldon, Ray Triscari (trumpet); Vincent DeRosa (French horn); George Roberts , Richard Nash, Karl de Karske (trombone); James Rowles, Pearl Kaufman (piano); Larry Bunker (vibraphone, drums); Milt Holland, Shelly Manne, Ralph Collier (drums); Louis Singer (percussion).

Liner Note Authors: Patrick Snyder; Leonard Feather.

Recording information: Hollywood, CA (1961); RCA Victor's Music Center Of the World, Hollywood, CA (1961).

Arranger: Henry Mancini.

By 1961, film composer Henry Mancini was already well known in Hollywood for his jazzy, brassy scores to Touch of Evil and Peter Gunn. But it was this effervescent soundtrack for Blake Edwards' adaption of Truman Capote's wistful novella that propelled Mancini into the major league of Hollywood composers. Though there were other jazz-oriented arrangers working in Hollywood at the time, none possessed Mancini's imagination and skill in orchestration. (He was a veritable Berlioz in the way he cast instruments as characters in the story.) Only John Barry could ever match his gift for melody.

The Oscar-winning "Moon River" is a case in point. Toots Thielemans' tremulous, lonely harmonica introduces the simple, near-folk tune, neatly evoking protagonist Holly Golighty's "secret" country roots. Later on, Mancini vividly illustrates urban living itself with the lively mambo "Something For Cat" and a big-band blues, "The Big Blow Out," as well as sleek New York panoramas "Holly" and "Breakfast At Tiffany's" itself, delicious concoctions of voices and strings, trombone and vibes. Culture shock was never so appealing. minimize