Various Artists (Play Henry Mancini), "Pink Guitar", Solid Air Records SACD
2048, 2004

Most of us grew up listening to the songs of composer Henry Mancini, on the radio, and in film scores (though if you were like me, I didn't pay much attention to the music credits). They were tunes which stuck with us -- the theme from "Peter Gunn," "Moon River," and the "Pink Panther" theme. These and 10 other songs have been put to solo acoustic guitar arrangements by some of the world's finest fingerstylists on a CD from Solid Air Records called "Pink Guitar," a musical tribute to mark 10 years since Mancini's death. When I first heard of this project, I was skeptical, but one listen changed my mind: each player brings out the character of Mancini's compositions with skill and beauty. For above all, Mancini wrote beautiful music. Solid Air's James Jensen commissioned Laurence Juber to handle the opening track -- the shifty theme from the Pink Panther movies made famous by the late Pete Sellers as the bumbling detective Jacques Clouseau. Juber catches the powerful groove and plays deftly to bring out the various parts of the score. It sounds just like it should on guitar. Every guitarist is great on the CD, but here are some favorites: Ed Gerhard's languid serenity on "Moon River", squeezing depth out of single notes; Pat Donohue rifling us with multiple voices through the staccato "Peter Gunn"; Al Petteway adding a Celtic lilt to The Thornbirds Theme; William Coulter getting cute in DADGAD with "Baby Elephant Walk" from the movie "Hatari"; and Mark Hanson and Doug Smith combining for a catchy duo on "A Shot in the Dark" to close out the CD. Any lover of fingerstyle guitar should buy this CD, and so should any lovers of Henry Mancini's musical genius. It's a magical wedding of musical beauty.
© Kirk Albrecht / Minor 7th.com