A really fantastic little record – and one that's even better than you might expect from the title – which itself is already pretty darn fantastic! The set is upbeat and funky, but not entirely disco – more this very groovy blend of Mid-East elements and more familiar keyboards – all moving and grooving in ways that are a lot hipper than any other belly dance music we've heard! Music features piano and organ, plus a very cool "string synthesizer" by played by the leader – and there's also plenty of percussion at the core of the set, making for a nice juxtaposition with the electric elements. Titles include "Night Entertainer", "Dance Of Tenderness", "Joy Of Lina", "A Flower Of My Imagination", "Love Of Laura", "Girls Of Iskandariah", and "Once A Year". (Global Grooves, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of the grooviest records ever – a sublime blend of African percussion, soulful orchestrations, and Dorothy Ashby's amazing electric harp! By the time of this landmark album, Dorothy had been knocking around the jazz world for a number of years, but it wasn't until she hooked up with Richard Evans at Cadet Records that her sound really began to cook – breaking down genres and expectations in the trademark style of the best late 60s sides from the Chicago underground. The record's got a bit of funk, a bit of jazz, and a heck of a lot of soul – and the setting works perfectly for Dorothy's harp, giving it a lot more room to work around than some of her smaller jazz combo albums. The album includes two great originals – "Soul Vibrations" and "Afro-Harping" – both of which have a nice funky edge, and a groovy soulful bounce – and other tunes include "Lonely Girl", "Life Has Its Trials", "Look Of Love", "Come Live With Me", and a great version of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower". (Jazz, Now Sound) CD

A heavily percussive set from the Polish scene at the end of the 60s – music that appears here for the first time as a commercial release, and which has a mix of drums and different instruments that would have been right at home as a late 50s Living Stereo album from RCA! The music has a very dynamic range – with a mix of percussive sources at the bottom, used in ways that move between Latin and exotica – topped with flute on a number of tracks, in a way that furthers the sonic space of the tracks with some wonderful woodwind action! The whole thing's mighty nice – jazzy at times, more bachelor pad at others – with titles that include "Bank Bank", "Namiastka", "Samba Karnawalowa", "Ostryga Pustyni", "Nadszedl Czas", and "Taniec Grzebienia". (Sound Library, Now Sound) CD

Amazing work from Stanley Black – honest! The album's far funkier and far more dynamic than most of Stanley's other albums in the past – and is a sweet electric 70s session with plenty of elements you'd expect to find in some of the Brit Easy or sound library albums of the time! The arrangements are full, with a fair bit of electricity – but also some heavy percussion on the bottom on some funkier tracks too. Titles include versions of "Love In The Rain", "All It Takes Is Two", "Berimbau", "Wave", "Shaft", "The Hustle", and "Volare". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The frenzied piano of Carmen Cavallaro gets a nice does of Latin rhythms on this set – and the set's a great example of the way that cocktail piano and Latin were strongly linked in the New York scene of the 50s! Carmen's style here is certainly different than that of Joe Loco, Noro Morales, or others who skirted the same territory – but the difference is also not that great, and it was Cavallaro's earlier sense of drama and color that often helped inspire piano work in players who followed. The rhythms are especially great here too – not straight Latin all the time, but a nice mix of inventive and exotic touches from bass and percussion that really liven things up, and make the tunes come across with modes that are quite different than their familiar readings. Titles include "Dolores My Own", "Frenesi", "Andalucia", "Maria La-O", "Perfida", "Adios", and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure albums ever issued by exotica king Chaino – a set that was originally only released as a reel to reel tape, and which maybe shows an even wider sonic palette that was designed for that format! All the percussion we love on other Chaino records is firmly in place, but the orchestrations and arrangements are also richer and jazzier – almost more in an RCA Living Stereo mode, and we mean that in the best way possible – as the whole thing is really a top-shelf instrumental exotica album from the bachelor pad generation! There's a few Martin Denny elements here and there, but again the sound is wider and fuller overall – on titles that include "Mambo Italiano", "Mambo Inn", "Cuban Caper", "Caravan", "Cool Mambo", "Temptation", "Eso Es El Amor", and "An Occasional Man". CD

One of the most obscure albums ever issued by exotica king Chaino – a set that was originally only released as a reel to reel tape, and which maybe shows an even wider sonic palette that was designed for that format! All the percussion we love on other Chaino records is firmly in place, but the orchestrations and arrangements are also richer and jazzier – almost more in an RCA Living Stereo mode, and we mean that in the best way possible – as the whole thing is really a top-shelf instrumental exotica album from the bachelor pad generation! There's a few Martin Denny elements here and there, but again the sound is wider and fuller overall – on titles that include "Mambo Italiano", "Mambo Inn", "Cuban Caper", "Caravan", "Cool Mambo", "Temptation", "Eso Es El Amor", and "An Occasional Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from percussionist Bobby Christian – a set that's a bit of jazz, and a bit of bachelor pad – the latter of which you might have guessed from the cover! (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record – and a prime example of the strong Jewish/Latin crossover that was going on in the late 50s and early 60s. The record features the kind of crack cha cha sound that was bringing couples into the Palladium from Long Island, but it's also touched with occasional yiddish bits, like snaking clarinet or choppy percussion. Far from being goofy, these elements actually add a rich shade of emotion to the work, and the result is an extremely complicated Latin session that sparkles with excitement. Titles include "Merengue Mania", "Serching", "Mambo A Bisel", "Sher Cha Cha", "Dates & Figs", and "Sirocco". (Latin, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet follow up to Martin Denny's Taste Of Honey album – one that's got a great blend of piano, vibes, and percussion – all used in a way that's almost more jazz-like than some of Denny's earlier work! The formula works great to transform a host of 50s and 60s tunes – and titles include "Volare", "Cool", "Bijou", "Harlem Nocturne", "Satin Doll", "Anniversary Song", "Like Young", "Blue Carousel", and "Theme From The Manchurian Candidate". LP, Vinyl record album

Not really "the best", but a pretty nice collection of Denny's early work for Liberty – with a groovy photo on the back that shows him working with the group in action, beating on a big conga, while the rest of the band plays exotic percussion! Titles include "The Enchanted Sea", "Ruby", "Bali Hai", "China Nights", "Moonlight & Shadows", "Ebb Tide", and "Harbor Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

Four full albums from the great Martin Denny – presented here with bonus tracks too! First up is the initial Exotica album – the birth of a sound and the birth of a legend – Martin Denny's first album in the Exotica series, and a record so great it named an entire genre! Denny certainly didn't invent the tropical style of easy listening that came to be known as "exotica" in the 50s – but with a record like this, he delivered the goods better than anyone else – by taking away all the too-sweet styles of Hawaiian music, and serving up a stripped-down, jazzy kind of sound! The album features Denny's classic original quartet – with Arthur Lyman on vibes and Augie Colon on bongos – and titles include "Stone God", "Jungle Flower", "Busy Port", "Lotus Land", and his hit recording of "Quiet Village". Exotica 2 is the second album in Denny's legendary Exotica trilogy – a set of records that provided the extreme definition of the small sub-genre that today has become the stuff of legend! Denny's still working here in his classic format – a small group with heavy piano lines, playful percussion, and some birdcalls sung by the members of the group! The set's a mix of strange songs from strange sources, all given the sublime Denny twist – and titles include "Singing Bamboos", "Escales", "August Bells", "Ebb Tide", "Rush Hour In Hong Kong", and "Soshu Night Serenade". Exotica 3 is sublime late 50s work from Martin Denny – his third album under the Exotica banner, and almost a deeper and weirder album than the other two! The sound here is extremely haunting – even more freed from conventional melody than the rest, and very fixated on the tonal possibilities that could be produced from Denny's unique grouping of percussion, piano, bass, and vibes. There's few tricks or gimmicks on the set – just a spare and other-worldly approach to music that's totally great! Titles include "Manila", "Mama Iti E Papa E", "Bamboo Lullaby", "Ringo Oiwake", "Moon Of Manakoora", "Congo Train", and "Beautiful Kahana". Quiet Village is an undisputed classic in the exotica genre – and the record that yielded Martin Denny his biggest hit! The title track "Quiet Village" was originally written by Les Baxter, but it was Martin Denny's approach that really managed to send the tune over the top – using spare percussion, rhythmic piano, and just the right amount of vibes and bird calls to give the track a really haunting feel. That approach is echoed throughout the set – with shifting instrumentation that includes celeste, bongos, marimbas, and marimbula as well! Titles include "Quiet Village", "Paradise Found", "Sake Rock", "Martinique", "Tune From Rangoon", and "Pagan Love Song". CD features bonus tracks too – "Llama Serenade" and "The Enchanted Sea" and more. CD

The second album in Denny's legendary Exotica trilogy – a set of records that provided the extreme definition of the small sub-genre that today has become the stuff of legend! Denny's still working here in his classic format – a small group with heavy piano lines, playful percussion, and some birdcalls sung by the members of the group! The set's a mix of strange songs from strange sources, all given the sublime Denny twist – and titles include "Singing Bamboos", "Escales", "August Bells", "Ebb Tide", "Rush Hour In Hong Kong", and "Soshu Night Serenade". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album in Denny's legendary Exotica trilogy – a set of records that provided the extreme definition of the small sub-genre that today has become the stuff of legend! Denny's still working here in his classic format – a small group with heavy piano lines, playful percussion, and some birdcalls sung by the members of the group! The set's a mix of strange songs from strange sources, all given the sublime Denny twist – and titles include "Singing Bamboos", "Escales", "August Bells", "Ebb Tide", "Rush Hour In Hong Kong", and "Soshu Night Serenade". Japanese CD features full stereo and mono mixes of all tunes on the set! CD

Sublime late 50s work from Martin Denny – his third album under the Exotica banner, and almost a deeper and weirder album than the other two! The sound here is extremely haunting – even more freed from conventional melody than the rest, and very fixated on the tonal possibilities that could be produced from Denny's unique grouping of percussion, piano, bass, and vibes. There's few tricks or gimmicks on the set – just a spare and other-worldly approach to music that's totally great! Titles include "Manila", "Mama Iti E Papa E", "Bamboo Lullaby", "Ringo Oiwake", "Moon Of Manakoora", "Congo Train", and "Beautiful Kahana". LP, Vinyl record album

Martin Denny's music always takes us away to the tropics – and this set is a whole Forbidden Island of exotica tunes! The record features the classic Denny exotica quartet with Augie Colon and Julius Wechter – plus some additional guest players on flute, percussion, and guitar – rounding out things very nicely. The expanded sound works nicely for Denny's style – and the mood incorporates plenty of easy lounge arrangements of the fairly standard instrumentation in the backdrop – broadened wonderfully in the arrangements! It's sort of a blue-eyed tropical feel – one that makes it a cheeky classic! The set includes some good originals like "Goony Birds", "Cobra", "Exotica", and "Primitiva", plus the Les Baxter tunes "Port Au Prince" and "Sim Sim", as well as a perennial exotica fave, "March Of The Siamese Children". This version includes both the mono & stereo mixes of the full track list! CD