Howdy Folks! Welcome to The UnEarthed In The Atomic Attic album blog! Here you will find a wide variety of unusual Space Age Vinyl finds that feature good quality cover scans, jacket notes and audio samples for you to enjoy. I'm here to have fun and hope you will share in my process of discovery!
From the back cover: Mbira: Contrary to popular opinion, a variety of musical instruments other than drums exists in Africa, The sansa (a thumb piano or finger xylophone) is native to Africa and is common throughout the continent. It is not known anywhere else except in parts of the Americas, where it was used years ago in place of the bass fiddle. The instrument is made in a variety of styles; the ones used in this selection have a number of metal rattan tongues attached to a sounding ball and box. An additional resonator is used to increase the volume. Each tongue is a simple idiophone which is struck to produce a soft sound like that of a xylophone, but with more of a plucked tone quality. On one of the sans as used, metal pieces are hung from the box handle to add rattling sounds of a different quality. Another instrument used in this selection is the African xylophone, which adds an exciting tonal quality to that of the sansa.
Ayinde
Wasalu
Ire Dodo Ye
Frekoba
Bethelehemu
Mbira
Omo Pupa
Alose
The Music Of Les Baxter
Don Tiare And His Orchestra Exotique
Mercury Records MG 20845
1963
From the back cover: Don Tiare is an international performer whose expressive combo is an familiar in Bangkok as in Bordeaux, as comfortable in Nikko as in Nice, and as suited to the dinner jacket of the London Savoy as to the pareu on the beaches of Tahiti. Long an admirer of the unique Les Baxter creations, he asked the composer to write some original pieces for this album; and those, along with such Baxter standards as Quite Village, Bangkok Cockfight and Crickets Of Karachi, make up a dazzling and somewhat intoxicating tour of the far away places.
If I could tell, from the cover notes, which tunes Baxter apparently wrote for this LP I would post one as a sample.
Quite Village kicks off the album and sounds good, but the vibe is very close to close to Baxter's version. Soon the album takes on a more personal sound that, I assume, reflects Tiare who must play piano on the album(?). I can't find any real info on the man. But the piano seems to be the featured instrument whose sound rings in a strong shimmering fashion over the other instruments. Some of the tunes are pretty jazzy.
The engineering is excellent featuring a rich low end. A terrific listen over all.
Quite Village
Bankok Cockfight
Sampan Landing
Crickets Of Karachi
Girl Behind The Bamboo Curtain
River Of Dreams
Cockatoo
Sunrise At Kowloon
Jacaranda
Jungle Trail
Corazon
Quai Bir Hackeim
From Russia With Love
The Pink Panther
Orchestra Conducted By Richard Lindsey
Diplomat
DS 2324
The two titles that appear on this great cheesecake cover are good space age fun. The rest of the album plays like tracks recorded for another easy listening project.
From Russia With Love
A Very Special Love
Theme From Apartment
Happy Anniversary
Pink Panther
Teacher, Teacher
It's Not For Me To Say
Tunes Of Glory
A Presentation (Concert) Of Progressive Jazz
Stan Kenton And His Orchestra
Capitol Records T172
1947 was the recording date for the original tracks (from the back cover). Also from the back cover: Come Rain Of Come Shine, Theme For Alto were recorded in Hollywood in 1951. So, I take it that this is an early 50s reissue with the two tracks, as mentioned above, plus the tracks titled Introduction To A Latin Rhythm and Thermopolae added to fill out this 12 inch pressing. The original tracks were apparently issued as a four record EP set and a Capitol 10 inch (L172). There is also a reference to Kenton's City Of Glass project.
Also from the back cover: Kenton's Progressive Jazz has its roots firmly and deeply planted in three widely separated areas of music, all almost equally important. The extreme atonal and polytonal ideas of Bela Bartok and Stravinsky from the harmonic face of Stan's music, augmented by the individualized approach of Pete Rugolo, who was influenced and trained by the great French modernist, Darius Milhaud. Afro-Cuban rhythms and sound from the second important facet in Kenton music; the third face is just as definitely etched, and is known as plain big band jazz, with a swing all its own.
June Chirsty did the vocals on the sample above and Lonely Woman and Come Rain or Come Shine.
Personel:
1947 Session:
Saxes - Bob Cooper, Bob Gioga, George Weidler, Warner Weider (on Monotony only), Art Pepper (on Monotony, Elegy and Fugue only), Frank Paparelli
Trumpets - Chico Alvarez, Buddy Childers, Ken Hanna, Al Porcino, Ray Wetzel
Trombones - Eddie Bert, Harry Betts, Milt Bernhart, Harry Forbes, Bart Varsalona
Guitar - Laurindo Almeida
Bass - Eddie Safranski
Bongos - (out on Fugue) Jack Costanzo
Latin Rhythm - (on Impressionism, Lament and Fugue only) Rene Touzet, Jose Luis Manual, Frank Grillo, Carlos Vidal (last three men on Cuban Carnival and last two on Latin Rhythm)
Drums - Shelly Manne
1951 Session:
Saxes - Bart Cladarell, Bob Cooper, Bob Gioga, Art Pepper, Bud Shank
Trumpets - Maynard Ferguson, John Howell (on Theme For Alto only) Chico Alvarez, Ray Wetzel, Shorty Rogers (on Rain Or Shine only), Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson, John Coppola
Trombones - Harry Betts, Dick Kenney, Bob Fitzpatrick (on Theme For Alto only) Milt Bernhart, Bart Varsalona (on Rain Or Shine only), Bill Russo, George Roberts
Tuba - (on Rain Or Shine only) Stan Fletcher
Bass - Don Bagley
Guitar - Ralph Blaze
Drums - Shelly Manne
Stan Kenton plays piano and conducts on all selections.
Cuban Carnival
Monotony
Lonely Woman
Lament
Thermopolae
Theme For Alto
Impressionism
Elegy For Alto
This Is My Theme
Fugue For Rhythm Section
Introduction To A Latin Rhythm
Come Rain Or Come Shine
Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the cover art.
From the back cover: In "Perez" two sides of the fabulous "King of the Mambo" are presented. One features Prado interpreting Latin rhythms as only he and his musical aggregation can. The other side of Prado is not as familiarly known but is sure to be equally appreciated, for it reveals that Perez Prado is a jazz impresario of the first order.
Terrific cover art and tight sounding set. The "jazzy" B side does not sound stylistically much different from the A side.
Also released by RCA in 1958 on tape.
Maria Bonita Cu-Cu-Rru-Cu-Cu Paloma La Borrachita (I'll Never Love Again) Machaca Adio Mi Chaparraita (Goodbye My Little Angel) Marta Lullaby Of Birdland Flight Of The Bumblebee Leo's Social Come Back To Sorrento (Torna a Sorrento Fireworks
Exciting Sounds Of The South Seas
Leo Diamond
His Harmonica And Orchestra
Reprise R9-6002
1961
Available online for purchase/download, so I will not be posting a sample. Sorry.
I enjoyed the cover art on this album which seems advanced for 1961. Credits go to Paula Powers and Merle Share.
The song titles on the LP are some of my favorite "exotic" standards from the period, including Beyond The Reef, Pagan Love Song and Hawaiian Wedding Song. However pleasant and not to slight Diamond, the vibe here is too easy listening for me. Diamond made more progressive records that spoiled me including Skin Diver Suite - RCA LPM-1165, 1956.
South Sea Island Magic
Lovely Hula Hands
Beyond The Reef
Breein' Along With The Breeze
Polynesian
Pagan Love Song
My Isle Of Golden Dreams
Ukulele Lady
Under A Blanket Of Blue
How Is The Hour
Hawaiian Wedding Song
Far Away Places
One Of Those Songs
The Fluegel Knights
Produced by Bob Thompson
Music Director: Dick Behrke
Recording Engineer: Frank Laico
Cove Design by Forlenza Benosa Associates
Photography by Charles Keddie
Rerecording Engineer: Paul Goodman
MTA Records MTS 5014
MTA Productions, Ltd.
1968
One Of Those Songs
Cabaret
The Crusaders
Everybody Loves My Baby
Horn Duey
Castle Holiday
In The Still Of The Night
Camelot
Miniskirt Waltz
Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf
A Lover's Concerto
The Big Band Of Shorty Rogers
Featuring The Giants With Carlos Vidal And Modesto
RCA Victor LSP-1763 & LPM-1763
1958
From the back cover: This album is the result of collaboration by Carlos Vidal, Modesto Duran and myself. The three of us have always been fascinated by the richness, the moods, the color, the variety and the often wild excitement that Afro-Cuban music generates. An earlier experiment produced an album called Voodoo Suite (LPM-1101). In Wuayacanjanga Suite, once again we freely borrow from, and made use of, the thrilling music which, in its many forms, this country imported to its shores and eagerly adopted.
