Herbert Rehbein - Music To Soothe That Tiger (1964)

Herbert Rehbein was a violinist who worked as an arranger and co-writer for Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra, and recorded three LPs himself. He was also born in Hamburg, just like Bert. They were the team to write many hits for big stars like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Al Martino. This is his first album from the year 1964. It features very romantic and lush string-arrangements played in an extremely mellow and smooth way. I bet that you´ll prefer to listen to this cheek-to-cheek-music together with someone you like and with candlelight...
By the way: That´s what I call friendship: To come and to go together. This post is dedicated to Germany´s best composers: Herbert Rehbein, 1922 - 1979 and Bert Kaempfert, 1923 - 1980.

The Three Suns - Twilight Memories (1960)

Here they are again with one of my personal favorites! This album was originally issued in 1960 as a 20th anniversary package, with a dozen of the trio's most popular tunes of the previous two decades, including their own compositions "Twilight Memories" and first million-record seller "Twilight Time". Originally they consisted of a Hammond organ, guitar and accordion, but for some numbers a celeste, vibraphone, twin pianos, bass and drum were added to the instrumentation. "Moonlight and Roses" stands out as a wonderful arrangement, "Jalousie", "Delicado", "Anna" and "Jet" are highlights too, but my personal favorite is "Under Paris Skies". It sounds so french, it couldn´t be any frenchier at all! I´m sure, Mamie would have loved that one too...

Les Baxter - Confetti (1958)

Les Baxter´s "Confetti" from the year 1958 features All-European tunes, I guess that´s why it was quite unpopular in the U.S. I´ve read some harsh critics on that, but I don´t think they are right. But hear for yourself, I will not lead you to a prejudice. But I bet You won´t get the first tune out of your head for weeks: "Ricordate Marcellino" (in English: "Remember Marcellino") is a tribute to Muzzy Marcellino, one of the greatest whistlers of all time. There are some other whistling tunes on it, some lush arrangements, and everything sounds quite continental, if I may say. So, please enjoy this forgotten gem.

Bernie Green - Futura (1962)

Bernie Green was born in 1908 in New York. He studied music and then turned over to TV business, working as musical director for some more or less successful shows. Although he recorded only five records himself, they are all worth trying out. As far as I know, "Futura" is his last piece of work, and to me it´s his best. And it is possibly the best of the whole RCA Stereo Action series, which was outstanding. Just listen to his great interpretation of "Under Paris Skies", it will be worth it. Green died in 1975.

Abbe Lane - The Lady in Red (1958)

Abbe Lane was born as Abigail Francine Lassman in 1932, became an actress and the third wife of Xavier Cugat. She appeared in such block busters as "Wings of the Hawk" (1953), "Ride Clear of Diablo" (1954) and "The Americano" (1955). No wonder she started singing, huh?. This record from 1958 features Sid Ramin´s Orchestra backing her up. Unfortunately my camera is down, so I´ll have to use this cover from the web until I got it fixed again... Please enjoy the former "sexiest Lady alive" singing standards.

Esquivel - Strings Aflame (1959)

And the other one for you. Here it is: Esquivel´s fantastic "Strings Aflame" from the year 1959.
Please enjoy this great piece of music by this fine Mexican musician.

Eddie Cano - Deep In A Drum (1958)

Pianist Eddie Cano was born in 1927 and spent most of his career connecting the dots between jazz and Latin styles. He found an appreciative audience for a series of albums under his own name released in the '50s and '60s by labels such as Atco, Reprise, and RCA, his following similar to that of vibraphonist Cal Tjader and bandleader Les Baxter. Cano also drew on dance crazes such as the cha cha and the Watusi to promote his efforts. His family was musically gifted, Cano's father a bass guitarist, his grandfather a member of the Mexico City Symphony. He began his career in the band of Miquelito Valdes. This work is from 1958 and features the song "Honey Do", which was a cross-genre answer song to Carl Perkins' popular "Honey Don't". He died suddenly shortly after heart surgery in 1988.

Les Baxter - African Jazz (1959)

This is a repost for Mateo from Hamburg, who gave me two of my lacking Lasts. Thanks again, Mateo, and please enjoy some African Jazz, another gem by the great Les Baxter from the year 1959. It´s not extremely jazzy, so it is suitable for many listeners.

Esquivel - Other Worlds Other Sounds (1958)

Zoo-zoo-zoo-zoo-zoo-zooooo... Yes, dear guests, this is definitely a classic one. The pioneer of Space-Age-Music. An original, as usual on this site. I don´t do DJ´s work by doing own compilations, trying to be an artist. I preserve the original work, because I´m sure, at that time, long ago, long before market research and other crap, the artists put tracks on their albums on purpose. And it all fits together, ´cause THEY were the Artists, not me. I will not be that blasphemic to compile tracks in any other way than it was planned by the musician / conductor himself.
By the way: The same cover background was used incidentially on "Destination Moon" by the Ames Brothers in the same year. I don´t remember who was first, but I guess it doesn´t matter anyhow. But it shows how poular other planets were at that time. This was the first record that Esquivel recorded in the U.S.A. It does not contain explicit space-music, it´s more the kind of music when stereo was about to start. Now please enjoy THE "Space-Age"-record!

Russ Garcia - Fantastica (1959)

Russ Garcia´s "Fantastica" from the year 1959 is a bold and spectacular musical journey for serious armchair-adventurers. Garcia masterfully composed and conducted this musical suite depicting "fascinating, exciting sounds from other planets". His unique ensemble omits violins and includes woodwinds, trombones, a harp, percussion and "electronic devices and effects created by Ted Keep, Liberty's chief engineer".

As Ken Saari says it in his review on Jeff Central: "The flutes sometimes flutter furiously, as in "Nova (Exploding Star)," to great effect. Occasionally, there are electronic beep-like sounds as on the pieces "Lost Souls of Saturn" and "Water Creatures of Astra." "The Monsters of Jupiter" paints a vivid, bone-chilling picture that begins with a fast-clicking sound panning back and forth between the stereo channels, and then bold trombones create an aura of impending danger. Strange electronic sounds follow, including a high-low-high frequency sinusoidal sound, and then kettledrums indicate the approaching footsteps of these leviathan beasts. The cover of this amazing album features a great Spiro graph and an Earth-like globe in space, with the title "Fantastica" emblazoned in comet-like lettering at the top. Without a doubt, this is one of the very best outer space records ever made." Have fun on your trip through space...

Michel Legrand - Archi-Cordes (1967)

This is French. Definitely. You can hear it. And it´s from the sixties. Cool. That´s an explosive mixture, I can tell you! Light jazz starring the famous Ondioline and Martenot with a touch of Louis-de-Funès-movies and some Twist added. The tracks are great, especially "Come Ray or Come Charles", which refers to a famous Soulman (guess who?), and "Di-Gue-Ding-Ding", which is one of the coolest songs ever written. Now put on your dancing shoes and start to twist...

James Last - Classics Up To Date (1966)

This is "Classic", even in the literal sense of this word. Just like Ray Conniff with his "Concert in Rhythm" Maestro James Last "popped" old music up. He did this 9 (!) times, not only twice like Ray. So, if you like this kind of "classical" music, you can consider yourself happy, ´cause I´m planning on putting up some more of this. For those who are not familiar with this kind of music, I´ve put the names of the original composers in brackets behind the title. Listen and learn that classical music can be fun, especially when tuned up by our "Hansi"...