Part of the percussion mania that swept the late 50's, Perspectives in Percussion is one of the prime examples of the lot. Recorded at one of Bill Putnam's Universal Recording studios, the album features some of the finest sidemen happily bopping to Skip Martin's baton.
I believe this was recorded just around the time Putnam was experimenting with stereo mixes. Listen carefully and you'll hear the imperfect edits of a pioneer at work.
Fave tracks are Tampico, Perfidio, Hawaiian War Chant, and Red River cha cha.
Have you ever found yourself asking, "Just whatever happened to Billy May, anyway"? Why, there he is, staggering after the siren-clad maidens at the Tower! Senor May kicks up the hot cha-cha tempos of old standards, and darned if it isn't a good time for one and all!
Break out the cocktails and cigars, fellas, this album is a scorcher. Hep's faves are Leap Frog, Flyin' Home, Bijou, and the Poor People of Paris cha-cha's.
This album makes a great backdrop for a late night, scorpion bowl swilling, blind-drunk episode at your local tiki bar. Somehow I feel it's a wonderful soundtrack for madness, like smashing a 100 gallon aquarium or setting fire to your yacht during a party at sea.
It's actually quite a nice album. Just very, very sweet. Reminds me of trips to the eye doctor. Or playing in my Great-Aunt Irene's parlor.
Billy Vaughn looks like someone who would be really fun to meet in a bar.
Faves would have to be Sukiyaka which sounds like the score of an old Western. On the beach at Waikiki is a geriatric romp in the sand, and they really pulled out the stops on Moon of Manakoora with a chorus of 'ooohs'.
There was something oddly compelling about this album cover when I first pulled it from the bin. Oh! There it is, sex.
I admit, I buy wine for the label. Records too, I guess. I'm not a music scholar, so I do miss many of the great musicians past. Mongo Santamaria, the pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz, a man imitated the world over by conga percussionists is one giant I've managed to skip over.
This album is amazing. Vibrant, jazzy, sunny, zany, I found myself stunned at the music coming from this unknown slab of vinyl. Who is this guy? Why isn't he a household name? Or is he? The music just kept getting better. My kids loved it! We danced like nobody's business.
Faves are many. Streak O'Clean and Fatback are clear favorites. Coconut milk is clean and outstanding. Watermelon man, Jose Outside, Ricky tick, From me to you all, and Do it to it are loads o' fun too.
What do I know about Alvino Rey that can tittilate exotica afficionadoes the world over? Nothing! So I'll refer you to the outstanding desktop reference Space Age Pop, who has a concise biography of this fab cat.
I'm forever trying to figure out a way to get my neighbor to sit on my couch like that.
Personal faves are I love Paris, A swingin' fling, Speak low, and Chukkar.
Zowie! Potluck is the little brother album to better-known Jumping at the Left Bank. This album demonstrates the "potpourri of tunes freshly styled by a bright new vocal group".
The liner notes state: "The twelve tunes are performed with the exuberant high spirits of four good-looking, great-singing young people who are still rejoicing in the acclaim that has been theirs since their swift, exhilarating flight to stardom at the Left Bank on West Side Manhattan." Whew, a single run-on sentence and it says it all, doesn't it?
Notable greats from this album are Potluck, Ridin' High and Time after time.
