Pre-US work from Juan Garcia Esquivel – 2 early albums recorded in Mexico in the mid 50s! First up is Las Tandas – a set that's got a hip mix of jazz, swing, and Latin orchestral touches – presented here with some spoken announcements at the beginning of each track, in a way that supposedly sounds "live" – although the recording of the instruments is more in studio-level quality. Titles are all quite unusual – and often offer an odd extrapolation of older modes from the decade before – slightly re-arranged in more modern 50s orchestral modes. Titles include "Politecnio Rock & Roll", "Goya Universidad Rock & Roll", "Una Y Otra Vez", "Collar De Perlas", "Potpourri Curiel", and "Tren Nocturno". To Love Again is one of the rarest of Esquivel's RCA albums – a set that was recorded in Mexico, but issued as one of his first albums in the US! The sound's a bit romantic, but it's still got plenty of elements of his classic RCA work – including his unique approach to arrangements, and his penchant for lots of nice little instrumental flourishes that burst out of the larger ensemble with a nice sense of flourish! Titles include "Jungle Drums", "Vereda Tropical", "Siboney", "Hornblowers Serenade", and "Nocturnal". CD

Juan Garcia's at his best here on Exploring New Sounds In Stereo – gazing into a telescope on the cover, looking at the stars and contemplating his next musical direction. For that, the session leaps into a swinging hi-fi mode that brings the hi-ghest fi-delity to the band's nutty approach to arrangements. Esquivel's definitely swinging on a star here – especially on the cuts "My Blue Heaven", "Spellbound", "Whatchamacalit", "La Ronde", and "Bella Mora". Despite the "strings" in the title on Strings Aflame, this one actually swings quite well, and has a bit of an exotic gypsy flavor to it, augmented by cool spacey production that makes the strings hum with a strange other-worldly tonality. The set's filled with the usual crazy Esquivel arrangements, and includes the cuts "Turkish March", "Andalusian Sky", "Misirlou", and "Gypsy Lament". CD

One of the most memorable Esquivel albums, and perhaps the first record that really let him hit his fantastic mix of off-beat orchestrations and spacey electronicized production! The arrangements are splendid, with echoey piano lines in the front that seem to trail off into the stratosphere. Behind them, the orchestra swings in a tight rocket-fueled way, soaring and dipping to match the oddly arranged piano lines. Titles include "Playfully", "That Old Black Magic", "Speak Low", "It Had To Be You", and "Night & Day". Plus, the cover's got a groovily attired model, hanging out in a very green lunar scene! CD

One of the most memorable Esquivel albums, and perhaps the first record that really let him hit his fantastic mix of off-beat orchestrations and spacey electronicized production! The arrangements are splendid, with echoey piano lines in the front that seem to trail off into the stratosphere. Behind them, the orchestra swings in a tight rocket-fueled way, soaring and dipping to match the oddly arranged piano lines. Titles include "Playfully", "That Old Black Magic", "Speak Low", "It Had To Be You", and "Night & Day". Plus, the cover's got a groovily attired model, hanging out in a very green lunar scene! LP, Vinyl record album

Nice nice set of some of Esquivel's best moments from his late-50s/early-60s RCA recordings! The cover's got Juan Garcia on the front, looking very cool, and the record includes a dozen groovy numbers that are the epitome of space age bachelor pad chic: "Poinciana", "Guadalajara", "Malaguena", "Bye Bye Blues", "Granada", "Jalousie", "Cherokee", "Take The A Train", "My Reverie", "Adios, Marquita Linda", "Magic Is The Moonlight" and "Estrellita". LP, Vinyl record album

Juan Garcia's at his best here – gazing into a telescope on the cover, looking at the stars and contemplating his next musical direction. For that, the session leaps into a swinging hi-fi mode that brings the hi-ghest fi-delity to the band's nutty approach to arrangements. Esquivel's definitely swinging on a star here – especially on the cuts "My Blue Heaven", "Spellbound", "Whatchamacalit", "La Ronde", and "Bella Mora". Stereo version, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little Stereo Action set from Ray Martin, recorded with a very dynamic edge – hence the title! The feel here is a bit in the Esquivel mode – with orchestrations that swing all over the map, and use the stereo recording technology to their best advantage. And although Ray's perhaps a bit more sedate than Juan Garcia, lots of the tunes have some interesting instrumentation that keeps things interesting – sly little bits that sneak in under the radar, and crop up in the song to jazz things up a bit! Titles include "Mood Indigo", "Cry Me A River", "Bye Bye Blues", "Humoresque", "The Moon Was Yellow", and "Pagan Love Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Features tracks by 90's heavyweights like Combustible Edison & Esquivel, Fastball, Ben Folds Five, Poe, Steve & Eydie, Pizzicato Five and more, covering classic lounge tunes – 14 tracks in all! CD

Music from the Three Suns, Sir Julian, Esquivel & his Orchestra, Henri Rene & his Orchestra, John Klein & Sid Ramin, Marty Gold & his Organ Ensemble, Dennis Farnon & his Orchestra, Henry Man cini, Perez Prado, Russ Case & his Orchestra & more. CD

Classic bachelor pad music – work by Leo Addeo, Ray Martin, Marty Gold, Esquivel, Dick Schory, Three Suns, Bernie Green, and others! CD

Music by Esquivel, Xavier Cugat, Tito Puente, Bert Kaempfert, the Anita Kerr Singers, Percy Faith, Arthur Greenslade, Jeri Southern, and others. CD

Music from the Three Suns, Henri Rene, Russ Case, Bernie Green, Henry Mancini, the Markko Polo Adventurers, Perez Prado, Esquivel, and more! CD

A wonderful bit of hipster tracks from the early 60s! Mel Henke was part Esquivel, part Pete Rugolo, part Ken Nordine, part Kenyon Hopkins – and one of the best, and most underrated of the late 50s/early 60s bachelor pad arrangers! This album's most likely his best – and it's a mad mix of tracks with a slinky jazzy sound. Some have strange narration, others have strange instrumentation, and nearly all of them have a wild cartoony sound that's just great. Listen for strange vocals from Beverly Ford, electric violin by Elliott Fisher, and lots of percussion by Larry Bunker and Milt Holland. Titles include "The Lively Ones", "Let's Put Out The Lights", "Famer John", "All That Meat", and "Woman In Space". CD

A wonderful bit of hipster tracks from the early 60s! Mel Henke was part Esquivel, part Pete Rugolo, part Ken Nordine, part Kenyon Hopkins – and one of the best, and most underrated of the late 50s/early 60s bachelor pad arrangers! This album's most likely his best – and it's a mad mix of tracks with a slinky jazzy sound. Some have strange narration, others have strange instrumentation, and nearly all of them have a wild cartoony sound that's just great. Listen for strange vocals from Beverly Ford, electric violin by Elliott Fisher, and lots of percussion by Larry Bunker and Milt Holland. Titles include "The Lively Ones", "Let's Put Out The Lights", "Famer John", "All That Meat", and "Woman In Space". LP, Vinyl record album

An extremely groovy session from arranger Pete Rugolo – done in a style that's partly jazz, but which also has lots of dynamic range – in a way that's almost in the style of some of the RCA bachelor pad albums from the time. Rugolo makes the most of the interesting format – using the horns for blasting, brassy waves of sound upfront – then letting the guitars step around in cool little ways – sometimes hitting the percussive tones you'd hear on an Esquivel album, and at others going for a straighter jazz approach. Players include Pete Candolo, Don Fagerquist, Howard Roberts, Larry Bunker, and Al Viola – and titles include "Two Guitars", "Ten Trumpets Have I", "Trumpets At Large", "Guitarsville", "Whispering", and "Echoes Of Harlem". LP, Vinyl record album

"Current Supplied By Marty Gold" – or so reads the cover – as this is one of Gold's most dynamic albums of the 50s! The production is really great, with lots of use of effects and echo – to transform ordinary instrumental tunes into mod hi-fi affairs! The feel here is very much in the Esquivel vein – as familiar numbers are transformed by odd instrumentation and even odder production, co-arranged by Sid Ramin, with all the nutty touches of his own work. Titles include "Lonely Guitar", "Reflections In The Water", "Ti Pi Tin", "Stella By Starlight", "You're The Top", "A Foggy Day", and "In The Still Of The Night". CD

Music from Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks, Artie Shaw & his Orchestra, Lennie Hayton & his Orchestra, Sonny Rollins, Shorty Rogers & his Giants, Frank Sinatra, Irving Aaronson & his Commanders, Roy Rogers, Dinah Shore, Manny Albam & his Orchestra, Ray Noble & his Orchestra, Lennie Hayton & his Orchestra, Leo Reisman & his Orchestra, Paul Desmond, Tommy Dorsey & his Orchestra, Leo Reisman & his Orchestra, Perez Prado & his Orchestra, and Esquivel & his Orchestra. CD