If you have expectations of a good jazz album here, they won't be met, however, if you dig easy instrumentals with a jazzy touch, this is a great record – and it features lively solos by Chet over backing by Harry Betts and the Carmel Strings. The album's got lots of groovy 60s pop stuff – including a great reading of "Man & A Woman", plus "All", "Trains & Boats & Planes", "Ballad Of the Sad Young Men", and "Guantanamera". (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff – way more than just an easy instrumental album, and a great batch of exotic tunes with lots of jazzy touches! There's enough of the Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman influence here – but Rex and group take the sound a lot further, by playing like a true small combo, and swinging the tunes with a heck of a lot more jazz than you'd expect. Grooves are nice, and get quite Latiny at times – and the feel of the record almost reminds us of some of Bobby Montez work for Pacific Jazz in the late 50s. Titles include "Ginza Girl", "Sushi", "Patricia", "Wild Orchids", "Bird Train", "Bushi Bushi", and "Will He Like Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An overstuffed collection of work from the great Arthur Lyman – initially known as one of the hip percussionists in the Martin Denny group, then a huge exotica star on his own – thanks to wonderful work on vibes and a whole host of other instruments! As with Denny, Lyman's music was always tied strongly to themes of the Pacific – part of the wave of interest in the new statehood of Hawaii as many Americans made the trip for vacations – but also a key moment in a musical legacy that's really stood the test of time over the years – as tropical elements are brought into play with styles borrowed from jazz, Latin, and easy – all to forge a new sort of groove. The 2CD set features 48 gems from Lyman's best years – all hand-picked by Lux & Ivy – and titles include "Trigger Fantasy", "Leis Of Jazz", "Sim Sim", "Sea Breeze", "Kalua", "Bahia", "Jungle Jalopy", "Busy People", "Happy Voodoo", "Otome San", "Blue Sands", "Bwana A", "Quiet Village", "Lullaby Of Birdland", and "Dahil Sayo". CD

A really wonderful album from the height of the exotica years – but a set that's got a fair bit more jazz in the mix than most from that generation too! Gene Rains plays vibes – and moves between moodier moments, ala Martin Denny/Arthur Lyman, and more straightforward jazz styles – which often have some great modal elements in the mix! The Rains group played hotels in Hawaii during the late 50s and early 60s – but are maybe more like a Pacific take on territory of the Quartette Tres Bien, thanks to strong work from Allen Watanabe on drums, Archie Grant on bass, and Byron Peterson on piano. Titles include "Mapuana", "Bancock Cock Fight", "Tiki", "Off Shore", "Shadow Of Love", "Jasmine & Jade", and "Lonely Winter". CD

Bud Shank takes on the sounds of The Beatles – and a whole host of other 60s pop stars as well – all with results that are as jazzy as they are groovy! The album's one of a few that Bud cut for Liberty in this format – alto and flute spread out over fuller backings from Bob Florence, a great arranger who knows how to make things swing by bringing in some wonderful 60s touches! There's a bit of guitar at times, some compressed horns – ala A&M – and some overall mod rhythms that help change things up nicely from tune to tune. Titles include "Michelle", "Yesterday", "Blue On Blue", "Sounds Of Silence", "Turn Turn Turn", "As Tears Go By", and "Girl". (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy set of loungey bossa tunes – pulled from 60s recordings on Capitol, Liberty, Pacific Jazz, and related labels. There's more than a few "authentic" bossa performers here, mixed with some others that pick up the groove nicely – working out their own west coast interpretation of the genre in a lively swinging way. There's a total of 18 tracks in all – and titles include "Mas Que Nada" by Rubin Mitchell, "Baia" by Bill Perkins, "So Danco Samba" by Wanda De Sah, "Triste" by Howard Roberts, "Amy's Theme" by Martin Denny, "Samba De Orfeu" by Ray Anthony, "Look Of Love" by Billy May, "Misirlou" by Laurindo Almeida & The Bossa Nova All Stars, "Witchcraft" by Joe Graves & The Diggers, and "Que Sabe Voce De Mim" by Walter Wanderley. CD

Bud Shank takes on the sounds of The Beatles – and a whole host of other 60s pop stars as well – all with results that are as jazzy as they are groovy! The album's one of a few that Bud cut for Liberty in this format – alto and flute spread out over fuller backings from Bob Florence, a great arranger who knows how to make things swing by bringing in some wonderful 60s touches! There's a bit of guitar at times, some compressed horns – ala A&M – and some overall mod rhythms that help change things up nicely from tune to tune. Titles include "Michelle", "Yesterday", "Blue On Blue", "Sounds Of Silence", "Turn Turn Turn", "As Tears Go By", and "Girl". (Jazz, Now Sound) CD

Late sound library grooves from the UK scene – but still pretty darn groovy! First up is Metropolis Now – a 1980 set from arranger Dick Walter, with production from Syd Dale – who clearly keeps things in the same groovy style as his own excellent work for Amphonic! Instrumentation is jazzy, but mixed with a good deal of electric funk – almost making the record sound like one of those great electrified big band albums from the mid 70s that were burning big – a groove that's even more surprising coming from an obscure sound library source at the start of the 80s! Titles include "Times Square", "Greyhound Runaround", "Vegas Venue", "Texas Turnaround", "Metropolis Now", and "Pacific Coast Highway". Otto Keller comes up with some warm grooves for Mix & Match – a set that's got the same sweet jazzy overtones as the best German sound library records from the mid 70s! There's a nice sort of sparkle to most of the tunes – some nice 60s easy and bossa influences in the music – and production and instrumentation that's much more mid 70s than you'd guess from the date of the session. Syd Dale handled production and musical direction – and titles include "Bella Vista", "Spanks", "Walk The Lonely Road", "Blue Monday", "Catwalk", "Sun City", and "East River Mist". (Sound Library, Now Sound) CD

Maybe not the most politically correct of the entries in the Greasy Mike series of weird and wild 45s – as the collection brings together material that offers a postwar take on the East – in a weird mish-mash of rocking styles blended with imagined ideas of Pacific-rimmed culture! The territory is surprisingly playful, if you can put aside any sort of winge factor – and the "exotic" approach makes for lots of unusual guitar lines, offbeat arrangements, and even some cool reed solos too! The set features 16 titles in all – and tunes include "Husband Wife Lung Slices" by The Fugu Five, "Saki Rock" by The Windsors, "Hong Kong" by Jackie Lee, "Hot Sake" by Copper Penny, "Far East Rock" by The Manhattans, "Along The Ginza" by Yo Yo Hashi, "Tokyo Stomp" by Chuck Fayne, "Saki" by Earl Craig, and "Chop Suey" by The Dawnbreakers. (Rock, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album