A repackaged version of the album Que Mango – a later album, but one that still features Les doing some great Latiny bits – heading up the 101 Strings ensemble, for a sweeping and groovy kind of sound! The whole album's very similar to some of Les' Capitol work from the early 60s, but has a slightly more modern twist – including the use of electric bass underneath the arrangements, which creates a really nice gently loping groove! One of Les' best – despite the late date – and with tracks that include "Jungle Montuno", "Que Mango", "Bocha Chica", "Affair In Aruba", and "Tropicando". Very groovy, baby! LP, Vinyl record album

Herb Alpert's first-ever album – a runaway hit that was the birthplace of so many groovy things – not just the start of the Tijuana Brass sound, also the birth of A&M Records! The album's the first to feature Herb's trademark take on the Mexican band style – done here with a bit more "jaunty" pop stylings than in later years, including a "rocking" electric bass that kicks along nicely at the bottom of some of the more chart-oriented tunes. The first full album on A&M – and the beginning of an empire – with titles that include "The Lonely Bull", "El Lobo", "Desafinado", "Mexico", "Never On Sunday", and "Struttin With Maria". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy Les Baxter album from the pre-exotica years – a set that showcases all the lively, jaunty styles that Les brought to his initial instrumental run on Capitol Records! The mix of sounds is as colorful as the title might imply – some Latin modes, wordless vocal passages, and plenty of instrumental tricks – even a bit of whistling at times, which comes across in this mighty cool way – as Baxter and crew turn out their own version of famous European instrumentals, zinged up in this groovy late 50s California mode! Titles include "Love Begins", "La Panse", "Love Theme From Farewell To Arms", "The Lonely Whistler", "Heartstring Melody", and "Ricordante Marcellino". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little 2 CD set – one that features 40 tracks from the heyday of the exotica era – from one of its best proponents! Les Baxter was a supremely talented writer and arranger – one who worked at Capitol for a number of years in the 50s, until he hit upon the style of exotic instrumentation and orchestration that soon became an instant hit. Baxter's work from the time set the tone for countless followers – and this well-done package brings together most of the best tunes from that period. Titles include "Quiet Village", "Simba", "Pool Of Love", "Busy Port", "Spice Islands", "Love Dance", "Safari", "Harem Silks From Bombay", "Lost City", "The Left Arm Of Buddha", and "Mombassa After Midnight". CD

An excellent gimmick from the United Artists label – a way of mixing their strong run of 60s soundtrack hits with the world of jazz – thanks to Count Basie and his group taking on a whole host of themes from the successful James Bond films! Count Basie brings a soulful swing to the work of John Barry, who scored most of these cuts – hitting hard on the tracks with his own smoking piano, and an orchestra filled with some of his best players – including Al Grey on trombone, Eric Dixon on saxes, and Freddie Greene on guitar – plus guest tenor work from Eddie Lockjaw Davis, an artist who wasn't credited on the session at he time. Arrangements are by Chico O'Farrill and George Williams – and titles include "Thunderball", "From Russia With Love", "007", "Girl Trouble", and "Goldfinger". (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

Genius work from Les Baxter – two of his best albums for Capitol, back to back on one CD! Ritual Of The Savage is one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the time! Before this record, most attempts at exotica were simple instrumental pop, colored with slight worldly instrumentation – or too-dreamy recordings, putting over a sleepy version of life on the islands. Enter Les Baxter, who had an amazing ear for sounds, rhythms, and arrangements – one that was the first to record this sort of music in a way that was sonically evocative, and could stand on its own without other referents. Instrumentation is often conventional, but used oddly here – and Baxter's original compositions are all pretty darn great – playful without being goofy, and nicely mixing Latin and Pacific rhythms at the bottom. Titles include "Busy Port", "The Ritual", "Coronation", "Jungle Jalopy", and Les' original version of "Quiet Village". Heck, even the cover is gorgeous – with a brilliant blue illustration of some guy putting the moves on a woman amidst spooky tribal relics! The Passions is a really obscure box set recording – done as Les Baxter's classic exploitation of "a woman's passions", using vocalist Bas Sheva in the role of the tormented female! Shiva's got a bold, evocative style that's not unlike Yma Sumac – and she sings here wordlessly, as an added instrument on top of Baxter's orchestrations – playing the role of the inner psyche of woman, on titles that include "Lust", "Terror", "Joy", "Hate", "Ecstasy", and "Despair"! The whole thing's a mini docu-drama in sound – beautifully recorded in a flurry of red, blue, and other chromatic hues – not as exotic as Baxter's other work from the 50s, but equally great as a modern sonic psychoanalytic text! CD

Breezy bossa nova – Hollywood 60s style! The album's one of the best cut for Capitol by guitarist Laurindo Almeida – and has a sweet groovy little style that features Laurindo's lovely guitar work over some lightly dancing small combo backings that include flute, harmonica, organ, percussion, and even a bit of whistling on a few tracks! The vibe's very much in the best Verve/Impulse takes on the bossa – done with a clear California influence, which keeps things cool and breezy – and which also pushes Almeida past his sometimes-staid style on guitar. Two cuts also feature some great vocals by Irene Kral – and titles include "Twilight In Rio", "Old Guitaron", "Sarah's Samba", "Izabella", "Winter Moon", "Girl From Ipanema", and "Choro For People In Love". CD

Breezy bossa nova – Hollywood 60s style! The album's one of the best cut for Capitol by guitarist Laurindo Almeida – and has a sweet groovy little style that features Laurindo's lovely guitar work over some lightly dancing small combo backings that include flute, harmonica, organ, percussion, and even a bit of whistling on a few tracks! The vibe's very much in the best Verve/Impulse takes on the bossa – done with a clear California influence, which keeps things cool and breezy – and which also pushes Almeida past his sometimes-staid style on guitar. Two cuts also feature some great vocals by Irene Kral – and titles include "Twilight In Rio", "Old Guitaron", "Sarah's Samba", "Izabella", "Winter Moon", "Girl From Ipanema", and "Choro For People In Love". CD

Wild! Another beautiful release in the Easy Tempo series of lost Italian music from the late 60's and early 70's. This one's a haunting moody set of tracks that mix percussion, electric bass, organ, and a wordless female voice in a haunting soundscape of sexy tracks with a totally unique feel. The stuff is spooky, sexy, tinged with a 60's soundtrack groove, but imbued with all the erotics of the best 70's stuff. We can only compare this one to some of the best moody tracks on Camille 2000, but it's also got a feel that's totally unique. The tracks are all numbered, and titled "Ore 18", "Ore 20", etc – and the CD works beautifully as an extended sexy soundscape. More great stuff that we'd never have heard otherwise, put together in a stunning package by Easy Tempo! CD