This
soundtrack
to the movie adaptation of
Truman Capote
's novel
Breakfast at Tiffany
's is one of
Henry Mancini
's best. The pleasing blend of
pop
(the perennial
"Moon River"
) and
swing
stays fresh over the album's 12 tracks and shows off
Mancini
's considerable writing and arranging skills. The cuts range from the layered,
big-band
mambo
"Something for Cat"
to the transcendentally smooth
lounge
number
"Sally's Tomato"
with some
vaudeville
moments coming via
"Mr. Yunioshi"
(check out that banjo eating up the faux Japanese scales) and
"Hub Caps and Tail Lights"
(sounds like the
"Addams Family Theme"
).
keeps the
/
easy listening
mood from collapsing in on itself with many fine
jazz
solos, a driving rhythm section, and his expert (yet pleasantly cheesy) handling of the liquid-toned chorus parts. He also strikes a nice balance here between his crime-
backdrops for the
Peter Gunn
TV show and
Touch of Evil
and the later, more streamlined
soundtracks
for
The Pink Panther
and
Charade
. Throughout
's solid program,
makes it clear that he isn't just a peddler of Muzak but a fine composer. The 2005 Japanese
BMG
reissue offers crisp remastering to audiophile standards, similar to what was done with
Elvis Presley
's catalog in Japan -- the results are startling, with exceptionally vivid textures throughout, but nowhere more so than on
"Moon River,"
where the opening quote of the central melody on the harmonica, the next instrumental verse picked up by the strings, and the third done by the chorus, all sound like they're right in your lap. The whole album sounds that way, with the result that all of the musicianship and
's finely nuanced direction never seemed more up close and personal. ~ Stephen Cook & Bruce Eder