A mix of post-war exotica. Shiman is the archivist and programmer at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, and proprietor of Office Naps and The Exotica Project, both stellar repositories of arcane sounds. These records summon desert oases and tiki-laden paradises, but move beyond the genre’s popular touchstones: the lush, sylvan orchestrations of Les Baxter, the cool Polynesian jazz of Martin Denny, and the ululating Andean wail of Yma Sumac. Shiman’s selection unearths 45s and LPs produced by obscure exotica labels in the 1950s and 60s, whose output ranged from instrumental rock bands covering Arthur Lyman’s faux-Polynesian “Taboo” to careening mambos played by Latin American orchestras. These fantasias juxtapose thrush songs and cruise-ship combos, teenage-girl groups and African percussionists, R&B professionals and forgotten lounge singers.
Track listing:
Tommy Burchard and his Cordovox, “Romero Sunset” (7" 45)
Buddy Collette Septet, “Tennin (Polynesian Suite),” Polynesia LP
Big Black, “The Snakecharmer” (7" 45)
Noro Morales and his Quintet, “Saona,” No Blues Noro LP
Gene Sikora & the Irrationals, “Tanganyika” (7" 45)
The Galens, “Chinese Lanterns” (7" 45)
Bill Osborn, “Bamboo and Rice” (7" 45)
Patti Kim, “Johnny Guitar,” Famous Theme Songs LP
The Wailers, “Driftwood” (7" 45)
The Charades, “Flamingo” (7" 45)
The Caribs, “Miserlou,” Caribbean Capers LP
Larry O’Keefe, “Love’s Dream” (7" 45)
The Vaqueros, “Desert Wind” (7" 45)
Orpheus Four, “Caverns” (7" 45)
Saori Yuki, “Whispering Rose” (7" 45)
Lalo Schifrin, “The Snake’s Dance,” Lalo = Brilliance: The Piano of Lalo Schifrin LP
The Madmen of Note, “Peppermint Fink” (7" 45)
The Fabulous Pearls, “Jungle Bunny” (7" 45)
Roscoe Weathers, “Penny Whistle Montuna” (7" 45)
Lee Golden and Trio Tres Bien, “Fire In My Heart” (7" 45)
The Blue Jeans, “Moon Mist” (7" 45)
Marshall and Wess, “Time (Is Endless)” (7" 45)
The Shelltones, “Blue Castaway” (7" 45)
Carmen Lesay, “Sunset Mood” (7" 45)
The Sound Breakers, “Marooned” (7" 45)
Jeri Simpson, “In My Black Lace” (7" 45)
Jerry Sun, “Taboo,” Personally Yours: The Exotic Jazz of Jerry Sun LP
Track listing:
Tommy Burchard and his Cordovox, “Romero Sunset” (7" 45)
Buddy Collette Septet, “Tennin (Polynesian Suite),” Polynesia LP
Big Black, “The Snakecharmer” (7" 45)
Noro Morales and his Quintet, “Saona,” No Blues Noro LP
Gene Sikora & the Irrationals, “Tanganyika” (7" 45)
The Galens, “Chinese Lanterns” (7" 45)
Bill Osborn, “Bamboo and Rice” (7" 45)
Patti Kim, “Johnny Guitar,” Famous Theme Songs LP
The Wailers, “Driftwood” (7" 45)
The Charades, “Flamingo” (7" 45)
The Caribs, “Miserlou,” Caribbean Capers LP
Larry O’Keefe, “Love’s Dream” (7" 45)
The Vaqueros, “Desert Wind” (7" 45)
Orpheus Four, “Caverns” (7" 45)
Saori Yuki, “Whispering Rose” (7" 45)
Lalo Schifrin, “The Snake’s Dance,” Lalo = Brilliance: The Piano of Lalo Schifrin LP
The Madmen of Note, “Peppermint Fink” (7" 45)
The Fabulous Pearls, “Jungle Bunny” (7" 45)
Roscoe Weathers, “Penny Whistle Montuna” (7" 45)
Lee Golden and Trio Tres Bien, “Fire In My Heart” (7" 45)
The Blue Jeans, “Moon Mist” (7" 45)
Marshall and Wess, “Time (Is Endless)” (7" 45)
The Shelltones, “Blue Castaway” (7" 45)
Carmen Lesay, “Sunset Mood” (7" 45)
The Sound Breakers, “Marooned” (7" 45)
Jeri Simpson, “In My Black Lace” (7" 45)
Jerry Sun, “Taboo,” Personally Yours: The Exotic Jazz of Jerry Sun LP