Arturo Sandoval Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Jon Burlingame editor The centennial of Henry Mancini, composer of “The Pink Panther,” “Moon River” and other movie songs, isn’t until 2024. But the celebration began on Thursday when an all-star parade of Oscar, Emmy and Grammy-winning musicians got together to re-record one of his most famous works: “Peter Gunn.” With legendary composers John Williams and Herbie Hancock on keyboards, jazz great Arturo Sandoval on trumpet and music mogul Quincy Jones conducting an 18-piece band of L.A. session players, Mancini’s 1958 TV theme rocked the Warner Bros. scoring stage all afternoon. It was old home week for many, who seemingly spent half the three-hour session embracing, laughing and snapping photos. Williams and Jones called each other “Q” and “John T.,” the nicknames they had when the two were toiling side-by-side at Universal Television in the 1960s, before each started collecting Oscars and Grammys for their work in films and records.

Jon Burlingame The newly created Pacific Jazz Orchestra made its first public appearance on Saturday at Hollywood’s United Recording studio, making what may be the final recording in that legendary Sunset Blvd. room where so many great tunes originated over the past 65 years. That likelihood lent a bittersweet tone to an otherwise joyous occasion. Artistic director Chris Walden conducted a half-hour of music with the 40-piece orchestra and announced plans for its initial 2023-24 season before a crowd of Oscar, Grammy and Emmy winners that included Diane Warren, David Foster, Katharine McPhee, Charles Fox and Mark Isham. “It’s not a symphony orchestra, but it’s also not just a big band,” Walden told Variety in an interview before the show. “It’s a hybrid ensemble with instrumentation that allows us to explore the boundaries of jazz and create collaborations with a wide range of guest artists.”

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Cynthia Erivo, Chad Hugo, Larry Mullen, Patrice Rushen, Arturo Sandoval and Bernie Taupin are among the well-known musicians who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.