I must confess I hadn't realised there was a genre known as Exotica although a lot of the tunes did sound familiar. However, there must have been otherwise it couldn't have been reborn as the album title claims.
Perhaps if I'd spent my youth lying on the beach at Waitiki instead of the golden sands of South Shields my education would have been much improved and I'd have got a tan or, more likely, had sand kicked in my face.
As you've probably gathered, Exotica was popular in Hawaii and the South Pacific in the post WWII years and is a mix of several genres such as Latin, jazz and lounge music ultimately culminating in the easy listening format.
To leave it at that would be unfair as although, at times, it can come across as bland there are often pulsating rhythms that have the edge on many a bossa and most cha-cha-chas. And when the chips are down there's excitement to spare in Curtis' piano solos, Benoit's vibes. and Mayer's excursions on flute and sax.
The first six tracks were conceived in a studio whilst the remaining seven were live at the House Without a Key which was also the title of Earl Derr Bigger's first novel featuring fictional detective Charlie Chan.
An album well worth investigating. Lance
*Helen Liu, Wu Hung (violins); Anna Womack (viola); Kathleen Gushiken (cello)
Cave of the Tarpon (T. Mayer); Tropicando (Les Baxter); China Clipper (Paul Conrad); Quiet Village (Les Baxter); Cave of Uldo (Randy Wong); Yellowbird (A&M Bergman, Norman Luboff); Coronation (Les Baxter); Similau (Arden Clar, Harry Coleman); Lucero (Cal Tjader); Mapuana (Lami Sang); Sunrise at Kowloon (Les Baxter); Halekulani (Bill Kaiwa); Cave of the Tarpon (T. Mayer)
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