Arthur Lyman

This Collectors' Choice Music two-fer CD pairs bandleader Arthur Lyman's The Many Moods of Arthur Lyman (1962) with his best-selling Love for Sale (1963). On both efforts, Lyman (vibraphone/marimba) is accompanied by John Kramer (bass/flute/guitar), Alan Soares (keyboards), and Harold Chang (percussion). As was typical operating procedure for the combo's long-players at the time, each included a dozen tracks drawn from a variety of sources, including Great American Songbook standards, Broadway and Hollywood scores, and folk songs from around the world. While on the subject of globe-trotting, the laid-back opener "Sicilian Holiday" offers a textbook example of how Lyman and company fuse their seemingly disparate influences into their own unique brand of tasty tiki-inspired instrumentals. "Jungle Flower" -- featuring some hypnotic and shimmering somnolent runs by Soares and Lyman -- is the first of several melodies derived from Les Baxter compositions. Here, they utilize Baxter's "Ritual of the Savage." It directly contrasts the highly recommended and arguably over the top simulated bird calls and thoroughly jungle-fied Love for Sale entry "Love Dance." Otherwise, the tracks are fairly straightforward examples of Lyman's genre-defining exotica. Among the additional cinematic standouts are the upbeat and buoyant title song from the 1951 film Anna and the vibrant El Cid (1961) main theme, containing evidence of Chang's percussive cohesion. "America" -- courtesy of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's West Side Story (1961) -- bursts with fascinating textures thanks to the jazzy arrangement. Turning to the combo's undeniably romantic side is the traditional, North American folk classic "Danny Boy" and "I Wish You Love." Finally, demonstrating a too-often hidden penchant for post-bop jazz are the tracks "Love for Sale" and a groove-filled interpretation of "Sentimental Journey." ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide