Exotica instrumentalist extraordinaire
Arthur Lyman (vibraphone/marimba) is joined by
John Kramer (bass/flute/guitar),
Alan Soares (keyboards), and
Harold Chang (percussion) for this package filled with international sounds, updates of a wide selection of show tunes from the Broadway stage as well as the silver screen. Getting the project underway is
Lyman's unhurried and midtempo arrangement of the suitably Mediterranean-flavored "Sicilian Holiday." The assembled combo demonstrate their sonic dynamics as they underscore with their own tropical touch. Particularly inspired is
Chang's front-and-center scritchy-scratchy guiro percussion. Taking a page from
Les Baxter's songbook, "Jungle Flower" is an interpretation of
Baxter's mesmeric "Ritual of the Savage."
Lyman and
Soares provide some outstanding interplay that balances atop the rich moody ambience. Going deeper into the tropics, "Anna" -- from the 1951 motion picture of the same name -- is a definite upgrade to
the Three Suns earlier version. It's bouncy and catchy persona likewise made it a natural for other purveyors of exotica, including
Esquivel and
Lyman's former bandleader,
Martin Denny. "Babalu" became a phenom thanks to exposure via
Desi Arnaz's bigger than life reading of the Cuban classic. However, its roots go considerably deeper -- as exemplified by
Lyman and company's emphatic take. The lovely and languid "Something Wonderful" is the first of two LP sides dedicated to material from
Richard Rodgers and
Oscar Hammerstein's The King and I (1956). The tender and romantic ballad is then directly followed by the stately "March of the Siamese Children," notable for
Kramer's ethereal woodwind interjections that infuse the somewhat strident, but unquestionably catchy melody. A second substantial movie theme to be featured on the
Many Moods of Arthur Lyman (1962) comes from the historic biopic El Cid (1961). Props go to
Chang's faultless percussive skills as he drives the rhythm over top of the remaining ensemble's insightful, but comparatively muted participation. Back on the islands, the simple and beguiling "Pua Maiole" is an Hawaiian ode that stands as an excellent sampling of the musicians at their most refined. A surprisingly successful entry is the stylish upbeat rendering of "America" -- the
Leonard Bernstein/
Stephen Sondheim classic from West Side Story (1961) . Another treat with a distinctive Hawaiian lineage is the tender elucidation of "Ka Anoi." Its sophisticated and yet simple treatment will inevitably be familiar to enthusiasts of tropical music. Similarly, "Londonderry Air" is
Lyman's slow and lethargic derivation of the traditional folk staple "Danny Boy." Concluding the effort is the winsome "Planting Rice," which became a favorite of the
Ink Spots and was penned by longtime member
Charlie Fuqua. In 2008, as part of their reassessment of
Arthur Lyman's copious Hi-Fi Records catalog, Collectors' Choice Music coupled
Many Moods Of... with the
Love for Sale (1963) LP onto a single CD. The reissue marks the first time either platter has been available for several decades.