Les Baxter - The Primitive And The Passionate (Remaster) '1962; 2019

Tracks list

Another in Collectables series of Les Baxter two-fers, The Primitive and the
Passionate/Les Baxters Balladeers collects a pair of the composer/conductors
early-60s albums. With song titles like Peking Tiger and A Night with Cleopatra,
1962s The Primitive and the Passionate is a pretty typical -- and entertaining
-- mix of Baxters instrumental exotica and standards. And, while the relatively
straightforward renditions of Laura, Little Girl Blue, and A Taste of Honey
might be a little too tasteful to pique the interest of modern exotica/lounge
fans, their supreme smoothness is almost as much of an accomplishment as the
albums more whimsical moments. These include the spooky, mariachi-lounge of
Fiesta Brava; the Latin rhythms and smoky flutes on Congalé; and Bird of
Paradise, a sunny, string-driven track that builds on Baxters quintessential
hit, Quiet Village. Les Baxters Balladeers, on the other hand, goes in a
completely different direction: instead of exploring and borrowing from the
music of exotic cultures, on this 1963 album Baxter delves into the sounds of
traditional American music in response to the eras folk music resurgence. With
its simple production and the focus on the Balladeers themselves (including Phil
Campos, Ernie Sheldon, and Jerry Yester in this incarnation), this album feels
less like a Les Baxter album than a solid collection of early-60s folk-pop.
However, the versions of Ashville Junction, Sail Away Ladies, and Sheldons
originals The Green Mountain Boys and Dunya still exemplify what that sound was
all about.

Tracklist:
2:51 | 01. Les Baxter - Fiesta Brava (Remastered)
3:02 | 02. Les Baxter - Tenderly (Remastered)
2:19 | 03. Les Baxter - Peking Tiger (Remastered)
2:16 | 04. Les Baxter - Laura (Remastered)
4:46 | 05. Les Baxter - A Night With Cleopatra (Remastered)
2:00 | 06. Les Baxter - Via Veneto (Remastered)
2:56 | 07. Les Baxter - Bird Of Paradise (Remastered)
2:37 | 08. Les Baxter - Slave Ship (Remastered)
1:42 | 09. Les Baxter - Manchurian Melody (Remastered)
2:27 | 10. Les Baxter - A Taste Of Honey (Remastered)
1:55 | 11. Les Baxter - Congale (Remastered)
2:15 | 12. Les Baxter - Little Girl Blue (Remastered)

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