what Frank is listening to #219 – MARTIN DENNY – Exotica – (Capitol) – 1957
Is there anything more relaxing than an album of lounge exotica?
I have commented on an earlier Denny LP back in what Frank is listening to #21 – MARTIN DENNY – The Enchanted Sea – (Liberty) – 1960
what I said was: To some this is "exotica", to others it is "lounge music", "popular", "muzak", "mood music", "background music", "easy listening", "instrumentals". These are all terms which can be applied, though those terms also define specific and distinct styles under the general banner of "lounge music". The term "Exotica" is best applied to Denny as most of his career he spent re-interpreting native ( Polynesian, African, Hawaiian, Caribbean etc) sounds ….. it's not folk music as it is distinctly western with a hint of jazz but what Denny did was take the "mood" of those "exotic" sounds and fuse them in with his western upbringing. To enhance the effect (or mood) he would use "strange" instruments or sound effects.
There is great background to Denny on allmusic: Martin Denny was born April 10, 1911 in New York City. A child prodigy, at age ten he studied piano under Lester Spitz and Isadore Gorn. For four years he toured South America with the Don Dean Orchestra, followed by a 43-month stint in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. Following his December 1945 discharge, Denny settled in Los Angeles, studying piano, composition, and orchestration at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. In early 1954 he relocated to Hawaii, contracting to appear at the Honolulu club Don the Beachcomber's. The following year Denny formed his own group, originally consisting of vibist Arthur Lyman, bassist John Kramer, and percussionist Augie Colón. In 1956, while appearing at steel and shipping magnate Henry Kaiser's Shell Bar — a club inside the open-air Oahu resort Hawaiian Village, complete with a small pond adjacent to the stage — the combo realized that the croaking of nearby bullfrogs blended perfectly with their tropical musical approach. On a lark, Colón also began imitating bird calls on-stage, much to the delight of the audience. Denny soon began incorporating South Pacific and Far East instruments into his arrangements as well, and by the time he recorded his Liberty Records debut, 1957's Exotica, his singular sound was firmly in place.
The Holy Trinity of exotica are Les Baxter, Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman …. creator, father, prince. Each of them, at their peak, are well worth listening to.
This is Denny's first LP sort of… actually it's a re-recording of his first LP…
allmusic:
Oddly enough, the record reflects Liberty Records' refusal to release its monaural recordings in electronically simulated stereo. The original, monaural version of the LP was recorded before stereo records were produced. That version features Arthur Lyman (still fresh after drunkenly discovering the allure of birdcalls) and is considered brighter, wilder, and more interesting than the stereo re-recording. The stereo version features Lyman's replacement on vibraphone, Julius Wechter (later founder of the astoundingly boring Baja Marimba Band).
I won't compare and contrast the mono and stereo LPs, suffice it to say they are different but there are strengths to each.
It should be mentioned that a number of the tracks on this LP have been covered from Les Baxters landmark exotica album from 1951, "Ritual of the Savage" …. tracks: Busy Port, Jungle Flower, Stone God, Quiet Village and Love Dance. Baxter was a genius but his was a orchestra with sound effects. It's up to personal taste but hearing these tracks in a small combo is pretty good.
That's enough discussion. It's now time to kick back, relax and enjoy.
Someone pour me a West Indian Ginger Swizzle*
Tracks (best in italics)
- Quiet Village -Baxter, Leven – one of the cornerstones of all popular music, from the first bird call to the last chattering monkey. Magnificent.
- Return to Paradise – Tiomkin, Washington – theme song to the 1953 Gary Cooper film based on James Michener's stories of the South Seas. I think Nat King Cole did the vocal on the original … this is vocal–less but manages to capture the allure of primitive paradise.
- Hong Kong Blues – Carmichael – Hoagy Carmichael's song from the film "To Have and Have Not" (1944). Again vocal-less Denny has upted the exotica quotient and maintained Carmichael's quirky melody.
- Busy Port -Baxter – busy sound for a busy port ….
- Lotus Land -Scott- sounds like a theme to a TV detective show. And there is nothing wrong with that.
- Similau -Clar, Coleman – the old standard. Peggy Lee did it in 1949. Slightly spooky exotica with a big sound. The birds of paradise are working overtime.
- Stone God– Baxter – frantic backbeat over some regal sounding vibes.
- Jungle Flower- Baxter – gentle, delicate and colourful, just like a, err jungle flower?
- China Nights– Yoru- this has it's origins in a Japanese film from 1940 about the benevolent Japanese in China. wtf. Exotic with a capital "E" and nice westernisation of some traditional Japanese musical motifs.
- Ah Me Furi – Baumgart – a basic bongo beat with vibes and piano providing the lushness.
- Waipio- a piano number with gentle bass and vibes. This is the least exotic number on the album and is more like a lullaby.
- Love Dance – Baxter- the whole jungle is out for the finale. "Love Dance" ? I'm not sure where the "love" is. Must be one helluva dance but a great finish to the album.
And…
Glorious stereo ….glorious extotica. I'm keeping this.
Another West Indian Ginger Swizzle please.
Chart Action
US
Singles
1959 Quiet Village The Billboard Hot 100 #4
1959 Quiet Village R&B Singles #11
(the single was also added to a original Denny album of the same name released in 1959 which went to #8 in1960)
Singles
1959 Quiet Village The Billboard Hot 100 #4
1959 Quiet Village R&B Singles #11
(the single was also added to a original Denny album of the same name released in 1959 which went to #8 in1960)
Album
#1 (1959)
England
Singles
Album
__
Sounds
Quiet Village
live
and attached
Return to Paradise
original
Hong Kong Blues
original
Busy Port
Lotus Land
Similau
Stone God
Jungle Flower
China Nights
original
Ah Me Furi
Waipio
Others
Review
Bio
Website
Trivia
*WEST INDIAN GINGER SWIZZLE: Pour an equal measure of Stone's Ginger Wine and white rum, served over crushed ice with a few dashes of angostura bitters or lemon juice. (Shake well and serve)
Other Comments
what Frank is listening to #21 – MARTIN DENNY – The Enchanted Sea – (Liberty) – 1960
(Originally posted: 24/07/2011)
