NEW MUSIC RELEASES: WARREN BAKER – MUSIC OF DESIRE: THE EXOTIC RHYTHMS OF WARREN BAKER; GEOFF LOVE AND HIS ORCHESTRA – HEAT WAVE; J.A.M. – SILENT NOTES

WARREN BAKER – MUSIC OF DESIRE: THE EXOTIC RHYTHMS OF WARREN BAKER

Wonderful work from Warren Barker – one of the lesser-known exotica talents at the start of the 60s – but only because he was also working in a variety of other instrumental modes at the time! Barker's charts are always nicely playful – and that approach also holds true here – as some of the tracks almost seem to offer up a commentary on the exotica genre as a whole, while also including all the great percussive and orchestral elements you might expect! Most rhythms have a subtle Latin inflection – as fuller strings mix with bongos, congas, and even some cool marimba too. Titles include "Amapola", "Monique", "Noche De Ronde", "Where Are You Now", and "Orchids In The Moonlight". Eeerie – and a nice one for late night! Good cover, too!  ! Dusty Groove

GEOFF LOVE AND HIS ORCHESTRA – HEAT WAVE

Fantastic early work from Geoff Love – an arranger we mostly know for his easy instrumental albums of the 70s – but who works here in a very different mode! The record's got a sound that really lives up to its steamy cover – a mix of jazz and exotic modes that are handled with a very nice flourish by Geoff – almost matching some of the most dynamic arrangers of the American bachelor pad scene with his great sense of color and dynamic sound! Tunes are mostly familiar, but served up in very fresh ways – and titles include "Mambo Jambo", "Tangerine", "Temptation", "Summertime", "Sabre Dance", "Indian Summer", and "Apache War Dance".  ~ Dusty Groove

J.A.M. – SILENT NOTES

A great little side project from three members of the legendary Soil & Pimp Sessions combo – pianist Josei, bassist Akita, and drummer Midorin – hence the JAM name of the group! These guys may have the structure of a jazz piano trio, but their sound is something quite different – very funky right from the start, as you'd expect from the S&P legacy – but also much more stripped-down than that previous group, with a similar mix of funk and jazz as Japanese groups like Indigo Jam Unit and early work by Quasimode! There's definitely plenty of jazz in the mix, but the core rhythm is equally important – and these guys have a lot more soul and depth than some of the "pretty boy" trios on the Japanese market of light, whose music is maybe a bit more flighty. Titles include "Foundation", "Totally Disorder", "Dancer On The Black Keys", "Alternative War", "Manchester", "Bell", and "Apple's Waltz". ~ Dusty Groove