Time: 38:54
Size: 89.1 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Exotica
Year: 1957/2010
Art: Front
[2:00] 1. Afro-Deesia
[2:35] 2. Brazilian Bash
[5:13] 3. Bustin' The Bongos
[2:36] 4. Conversation
[2:30] 5. Poppin' Panderos
[3:51] 6. Talkin' Drums
[2:11] 7. Reverberasia
[5:53] 8. Shoutin' Drums
[2:08] 9. Gringo
[2:16] 10. Mood Tattooed
[2:23] 11. The Poor People Of Paris (Jean's Song)
[2:31] 12. Unchained Melody
[2:42] 13. April In Portugal
Skins! by composer and arranger Les Baxter (1922–1996) is not only his most mercilessly stringent album ever, but a second foreshadowing artifact of an exciting shtick yet to unfold, namely the bongo craze with its gazillions of Afro-Bop LP’s and related works sporting the bold term Percussion in their titles. Released in 1957 on Capitol Records, Les Baxter sets yet another trend after single-handedly moulding the Exotica genre as an important adviser on both Yma Sumac’s debut Voice Of The Xtabay (1950) and his own exotic opus released a few months later, called Ritual Of The Savage (1951). Despite these two colorful efforts, with many more to follow from both artists, the continuation of the story is well-known: it was not until Martin Denny’s genre-constituting Exotica, recorded in December 1956, that Exotica was truly born by means of its genre name and escapism convention.
Skins! then proves to be another apex. The front artwork, while perfectly exquisite and rooted in Space-Age aesthetics, may be its only flaw, as crazy this may seem, for the majority of the ten unique arrangements are devoid of any melody. Instead, tribalism, ritualism, Paganism and other related -isms reign. The bongos are in the limelight – the subtitle is, after all, Bongo Party With Les Baxter – but there are also congas, boo-bams, djembes, timbales, classic drum kits, gongs, various shakers and other percussion instruments which embody 95% of the work, with the remaining sliver consisting of a piano, some alto flutes and a few chimes. Baxter does not try to deliver an insightful, truthful glimpse into tribal societies. He never did. Instead, Skins! is about transfigurations fueled by Baxter’s imagination. The album is not about facts, but factoids, would-be vignettes and alternative scenarios.
Skins! then proves to be another apex. The front artwork, while perfectly exquisite and rooted in Space-Age aesthetics, may be its only flaw, as crazy this may seem, for the majority of the ten unique arrangements are devoid of any melody. Instead, tribalism, ritualism, Paganism and other related -isms reign. The bongos are in the limelight – the subtitle is, after all, Bongo Party With Les Baxter – but there are also congas, boo-bams, djembes, timbales, classic drum kits, gongs, various shakers and other percussion instruments which embody 95% of the work, with the remaining sliver consisting of a piano, some alto flutes and a few chimes. Baxter does not try to deliver an insightful, truthful glimpse into tribal societies. He never did. Instead, Skins! is about transfigurations fueled by Baxter’s imagination. The album is not about facts, but factoids, would-be vignettes and alternative scenarios.
Skins mc
Skins zippy
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