Easy Rhythms For Your Cocktail Hour

The last volume of the DCC Music For a Bchelor's Den Series. Usually compared to the spectacular Ultra Lounge Series -- it's a slightly different flavor that not all appreciate. Besides some classic performances - this series goes to the other areas of lounge that could border on the farout, that theUL Series does not touch. I have to say that the Mel Henke cuts lift this particular disc above the plain, workaday attempt to cash in on the retro Lounge craze. Henke's songs are a riot. 60's party pad noise. It's always nice to hear "Caravan", and Ray Coniff offers his version here. "Music to Watch Girls By" with the Harmonicats is also featured. "Swamp-fire" is another good choice, as is "Jazz Pizzicato" and this version "I Get a Kick Out of You". The addition of cuts by Les Baxter and Julie London help round things out, although both are already on "Ultra-Lounge". One of best is the Dick Hyman cut, one of the first early moog solos along with the Perrey & Kingsley moogalcious "Swan's Splashdown." Of coures, for me, part of the charm is that they are Direct to Disc recordings mastered by the late great Steve Hoffman - so the audio quality is KILLER and thoroughly trounces UL. Get these for your pad and it's like a time warp back to those days of wine and roses.

1. The Lively Ones - Mel Henke
2. 77 Sunset Strip - Warren Barker
3. I Get A Kick Out Of You - Felix Slatkin
4. Jazz Pizzicato - Percussion & Guitars
5. Swamp-Fire - Enoch Light & The Light Brigade
6. Caravan - Ray Conniff & His Orchestra & Chorus 7. The Topless Dancer Of Corfu - Dick Hyman 8. Swan's Splashdown - Perrey & Kingsley 9. The Girl From Ipanema - Richard Hayman
10. Carol's Theme - Los Brasilios 11. Music To Watch Girls By - Jerry Murad's Harmonicats
12. Lust - Les Baxter 13. The Twisters - Mel Henke 14. Hot Toddy - Julie London

rhythms