Exotica Reborn: In Studio and Live at House without a Key by The Waitiki 7
Exotica is a half-forgotten genre that materialized in an era dominated by rock and roll and vocal stylists, a time when jazz still hung to the edge of popular music. The Waitiki 7 are determined to revive exotica, that lushly impressionist music from the ‘50s conjuring tropical lands and Pacific isles—perfect backdrop for a tiki party. However, they infuse those sounds with a ‘50s cool jazz sensibility and occasional chill room groove.
Saxophonist-flutist Tim Mayer wrote Exotica Reborn’s opening number, bassist Randy Wong contributed another track, but for the most part The 7 defer to material from the exotica era, especially Les Baxter. Perhaps the album’s most familiar melody is The 7’s instrumental version of “Yellow Bird,” an adaptation of a Haitian folk song recorded often in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. The 7’s version includes a guest performance by 97-year-old Harold Chang, a drummer for the original stars of exotica, Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman.
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