ALARM, Album Review >>
100 Unheralded Albums from 2010
by Scott Morrow
The Waitiki 7: New Sounds of Exotica (Pass Out, 6/7/10)
The Waitiki 7: "Similau"
Though devoid of the ukuleles and slack-key guitars that may be most commonly associated with Hawaiian music, The Waitiki 7 — based on the island of Oahu — excel in capturing the "exotic" sounds that Martin Denny helped popularize.
The septet's gorgeous melodies, however, do more than renew a bygone genre. Its radiant brand of exotica crosses into Latin jazz with just as much poise and dexterity, often melding the two with a lineup of vibraphone and xylophone, upright bass, flute, piano, violin, saxophone, vocal and bird calls, drums, and assorted percussion.
12/16/10 >> go there