Exotica Suite is a highly unusual project with much to recommend it. First and foremost, it is entirely a composition by
Les Baxter, the man who came up with the first exotica suite,
Ritual of the Savage, and to whom
Martin Denny thus owes an incalculable artistic debt. The arranger,
Bob Florence, worked closely with
Baxter and also arranged most of
Denny's later recordings. The good news for
Baxter fans is that this is a very impressive, cohesive work nearly on a par with the "exotic crime jazz" sensation,
Jungle Jazz. Unfortunately, trombonist
Si Zentner has little of the subtlety of
Jungle Jazz's star
Plas Johnson; subsequently,
Exotica Suite earns just a "B+" compared to
Jungle Jazz's "A." The bad news for
Denny fans is that
Martin Denny may as well have sat this one out. Despite the principal credit to him, the most familiar aspect may be the jacket design. But even the jacket is different this time; a flap covered with burlap is attached. The design is effective and is intended to help show off the record's audiophile recording process, Liberty "Premier Poly 120 Sound." The pressings are not appreciably superior to the early, black-label Liberty stereo records, however.