Search - Martin Denny :: Hypnotique & Exotica 3

Tutti-fruity exotica from all over the proverbial continent

jon sieruga | Redlands, CA USA | 01/12/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Hypnotique", one of Denny's own personal faves, runs hari-kari through the streets of Singapore to the tourist hot spots of Bali, and some of the comical arrangements are a little cornball, but when its right--its beautiful. The two opening tunes("Jungle Madness", with it's wild bird calls, and "On a Little Street", with it's shimmering sinuousness)set a standard that is hard to top, but many of the other numbers are wonderful in their own right; the second part of this CD, "Exotica III", is also captivating, beginning with the delicious "Jungle River Boat"(borrowed from quasi-competitor Les Baxter!)down thru one of my favorite tracks, "Congo Train"(also from Baxter!). These sessions proved to be maddening for Martin, who had a terrible time trying to get this record right. Maybe all the fatigue surrounding it's original taping is what produces a bit of malaise in the music(it might put you in a stupor before it's over). Still, Denny's collage of instruments dance around you in stereo with the tricky steps of a circus clown escaping an untamed leopard. It's a delightful excursion."