Post #141755 by tiki mick on Thu, Feb 17, 2005 8:18 AM

Thanks Sven, Spike...you know, I could use all the help anyone can give me!

Spike is an interesting cat..this guy is a virtual encyclopedia of roots and vintage music of all kinds, and it is a joy to work with him. He plays insanely good guitar, and more importantly, what he plays is always tasteful and appropriate..no one needs to tell him anything, because he has it down!

Sven, your book is a constant companion. In it's pages are a codification of what I think of as TIKI, and until I read it, really did not have a firm idea that there was this whole catalogued world out there. When I was 5, listening to my Mom's Arthur Lyman records, I never new what it really was, were it came from, or what it meant. I just knew that I liked it, and I liked the album covers!
She worked in a hip LA record store in 1960, and brought home many albums all stamped "demo, not for sale"..so I grew up listening to exotica, voodoo and lots of world music.

I try to put those influences in the music I create.

Plus, the music those guys were doing back then was and is extrmemly good.

Therein lies my frustration. I have met a lot of true jazzers who look down on Exotica and think of it as a campy version of pop-jazz from the late 50'2/early 60's, and I would disagree! Unfortunately, it takes advanced "chops" to play this style, and most musicians that can play it, won't because they prefer pure bebop or jazz rock fusion!

It's true that most of the exotica bands and composers focused on the wilder and exotic forms of jazz and world music, and the choice of instruments leaned toward vibes, organ, flute and even Harpsichord, but to me, it's just jazz. and love it. Jazz with a sense of humor and whimsy.

it's just very hard to find anyone that can really play it well, or who loves it like I do!