Last of the International Playboys

Recalling the days of Dean Martin, dry martinis, themes from spy thrillers and mambo-ish lounge music, The Last of the International Playboys provided a late-1990s take on the "lounge lizard" scene of the 1950s and early to mid-1960s. The nine-member New York band unapologetically called itself "Vegas jazz" and "Latin lounge music," but surprisingly, this jazz-pop CD isn't nearly as cheesy or corny as seems likely. In fact, material ranging from the Middle Eastern-inspired "Pass the Cous Cous" to Latin-influenced instrumentals like "Eso No Es Na" and "Blue Moon at the Bell Cafe" are actually fairly decent. Much of the disc has a uniquely Manhattan perspective, and the challenges of New York life are examined on "Two Big Whiskeys for Little Ann" (a description of a city woman's loneliness) and "I Want My Old Life Back," which finds a weary Manhattan resident longing for the small town he once found boring and left behind. The Playboys could have easily turned into this disc into a very silly cliché, but gratefully, they manage to avoid falling into that trap. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide