Cocktail Mix Vol. 2: Martini Madness CD

Certainly the best of Rhino's Cocktail Mix series, focusing on the most dance-oriented aspects of space age pop. This 18-song compilation could be said to stretch the boundaries of that recently coined genre a bit. After all, Mose Allison, Cal Tjader, Brother Jack McDuff, and Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers were not so much cocktail musicians as respected jazzmen who drew liberally from Latin music, blues, and pop. Mel Tormé (represented by the classic "Comin' Home Baby") and Nancy Wilson were respected "straight" pop vocalists; Quincy Jones and Connie Francis wandered into the playing field with their bossa nova novelties. Ann Margaret, Sergio Mendes, and Walter Wanderley are more the kind of chintzy good-bad acts you'd expect, but it's silly to get bogged down in classification. The bottom line is that this is infectious suave vintage dance music. It may be suitable for cocktail lounges, but only raucous ones -- which is a compliment. ~ Richie Unterberger

Live Recording

Composers: Harold Johnson ; Lalo Schifrin; Pérez Prado; René Touzet; Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Personnel: Earl Grant (vocals, piano, organ); Ann-Margret, Connie Francis, Mel Tormé, Nancy Wilson (vocals); Rahsaan Roland Kirk (flute, reeds); Stan Getz (saxophone); Les Elgart (trumpet); Pérez Prado (piano, organ); Harold Johnson , Lalo Schifrin, Mose Allison, René Touzet (piano); Jack McDuff (electric piano, organ); Dick Hyman, Trudy Pitts, Walter Wanderley (organ); Cal Tjader (vibraphone, drums); Frankie Dunlop (drums); Quincy Jones, Willie Bobo (percussion).

Audio Remasterer: Bill Inglot.

Liner Note Author: John Godin.

Illustrator: Ed Fotheringham.

Photographer: Mark Takeuchi.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Dick Hyman; Harold Johnson ; Les Elgart; Pérez Prado; Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers; Sergio Mendes.

Arrangers: Claus Ogerman; Dick Hyman; Don Costa; Harold Johnson ; H.B. Barnum; Les Elgart; Oliver Nelson; Pérez Prado; Quincy Jones; René Touzet; Sergio Mendes.Entertainment Weekly (1/19/96, pp.50-51) - "...Music for parties at which hepcats form conga lines and women are called `kitten,'....With their strip-club saxes and bongos, the songs recreate the feel of a dank, seedy nightclub and ooze lust and passion, if not love. It's a soundtrack for one-night stands, all the more quaint in the safe-sex era..." - Rating: B
Dirty Linen (4-5/96, p.95) - "...Rhino has found the jazziest arrangements of the coolest sounds from the late 50s and compiled the three star elevator tunes into perfect dinner party soundtracks..."
Musician (5/96, p.95) - "...sudsy, urbane kitsch aplenty....this music sounds positively vibrant and ear-tweaking..."