Henry Mancini - Legends - Henry Mancini (2000)

Legends collects three discs' worth of performances from Henry Mancini & His Orchestra spanning the '50s through the '70s, including "Moon River," "The Pink Panther Theme," "Peter Gunn Theme," "Experiment in Terror," and "Days of Wine and Roses." Aside from his own movie themes and orchestral pop hits such as "Baby Elephant Walk," Mancini also tackles some other great film composers' best-known pieces, such as Bernstein's "The Magnificent Seven," Rota's "Godfather Theme," Morricone's theme for "The Untouchables," and Barry's theme for "Midnight Cowboy." Not surprisingly, some of the later material included here, such as the Beatles medley and a rather schmaltzy cover of "Unchained Melody," isn't quite up to the level of the best work here, but overall Legends is a decent collection for Mancini fans willing to immerse themselves in the different aspects of his career.