Les Baxter: Milestones of a Legend (10 CDs)

Les Baxter (1922 - 1996) is best known as one of the originators of Exotica, a particular style of Easy Listening-music that offered its listeners a lush sonic vacation in the stereophonic comfort of their own living room, a trip on record full of imaginary rituals and exciting taboos. The composer, arranger and orchestra leader from Texas, who studied piano at the Detroit conservatory, decided against a career as a concert pianist in favor of Swing, the popular music of the time. At 21 he played saxophone for the Freddie Slack big band, and also worked as a vocalist, joining Mel Tormé's Mel-Tones two years later. Studio and soundtrack work for Nat King Cole or Yma Sumac, among others led to successful concept albums of his own orchestral suites, such as Ritual Of The Savage, The Passions, Caribbean Moonlight, or Space Escapade, all of which are among the twenty original albums in this box set. Think of Exotica as the world music of the late Fifties and early Sixties then sit back, re