A Warm Shade of Ivory is an interesting departure for composer/arranger Henry Mancini.

The album focuses on his skill as a piano soloist, although he fills some of his usual roles as well, since he also wrote the arrangements.

He had a hand in composing only one melody, "Moment to Moment," and instead concerned himself with interpreting other composers' melodies.

His lush orchestrations are reminiscent of Mantovani, as piano notes sparkle on the surface of immense waves of strings.

The album's concept may have been a novel one for Mancini, but the music is not fundamentally different from his typical fare, and encompasses his usual assortment of traditional and adult pop melodies and film themes.

Mancini's rendition of "Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" was a Number One pop hit -- a rare achievement for an orchestral instrumental at the time -- and topped the easy listening chart for two months! The album itself reached the Top Five and was certified gold.

A Warm Shade of Ivory is a lovely, contemplative collection that combines Mancini's skills in new and unequivocally successful ways.