With The Blues and the Beat, Henry Mancini delivered one of his bluesiest, jazziest records. Though it isn't an entirely successful experiment, but it has its share of delightful moments, as proved by "Mood Indigo" and "Sing, Sing, Sing." Mancini could never deliver straight jazz, but his easy, orchestrated approximations are enjoyable as their own entity. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
