Henry Mancini

Mancini got to cut this original album after two Peter Gunn soundtracks made him a surprise pop star. A mix of light West Coast jazz, swing and easy listening, this is marred only by the odd inclusion of a harpsichord. Mancini's hip enough to include Bobby Timmons' then new hard bop cut "Moanin'" while "Far East Blues" sounds like a noir theme for a movie that never was.