Review -

JB Joe Banks Tiki Socialite An island in Catlandia Joined: Aug 02, 2007 Posts: 560	JB Joe Banks Posted posted on Sun, Jul 24, 2011 4:30 PM Aloha. I am compelled to write a review of this album because, frankly, I have a lot to say about it. With “Aloha Baby!”, The Tikiyaki Orchestra proves, once again, that they are so far above anyone else in this musical genre that it is only a matter of time before they no longer belong to just our Tiki Community. This album solidifies that they truly are in a class by themselves. The “tiki bar” has been raised, once again. Ironic, because they raised on themselves from the last album. The album opens with “Theme for the Jetsetters”, seamlessly continuing right where we left off after the last album “Swingin’ Sounds for the Jungle Jetset!”. However, as that first track ends and the sounds of our plane lands…we are then transported into another world. The second track, “Polynesian Village Love Theme” is a lush (no pun intended), beautiful Hawaiian-style tune (complete with ukulele…a Tikiyaki first if I’m not mistaken) that will evoke images of a tropical paradise or a Brady Bunch montage of sight-seeing around the island. No one can accuse Jim Bacchi of not being able to write a catchy tune, and the title track “Aloha Baby!” is no exception. And it keeps getting more exciting from there… “Aloha Baby!” is a very sophisticated album, rich with mixture of Exotica, Crime Jazz and “Tiki Noir”. “In Search of Mei Ting” sounds like the ultimate “detective in the night time Hawaiian underground” soundtrack. And “Kono’s Revenge” is a show stopper of show stoppers. The album ends thematically as the last one did with “Hawai’I Nocturne”, which lulls us off peacefully, much like “Poku Moho” did on the “Jungle Jetset” album. The entire album exhibits such a confidence in itself that it seems impossible not to appreciate it’s very existence. The Tikiyaki Orchestra has evolved from Jim Bacchi’s grand solo experiment to a bona fide orchestra that really knows what they’re doing...and clearly has fun doing it. They are truly masters of their craft and it really shines through in this album. This is really an incredible album. It is so well constructed that you owe it to yourself to listen to it in the exact order as it is designed. Putting your iPod on shuffle or random would steal some of the artistry of this album like cheap booze lessens the Mai Tai. Aloha Baby! Joe Banks [ Edited by: Joe Banks 2011-07-24 16:31 ]

Aloha. I am compelled to write a review of this album because, frankly, I have a lot to say about it.

With “Aloha Baby!”, The Tikiyaki Orchestra proves, once again, that they are so far above anyone else in this musical genre that it is only a matter of time before they no longer belong to just our Tiki Community. This album solidifies that they truly are in a class by themselves. The “tiki bar” has been raised, once again. Ironic, because they raised on themselves from the last album.

The album opens with “Theme for the Jetsetters”, seamlessly continuing right where we left off after the last album “Swingin’ Sounds for the Jungle Jetset!”. However, as that first track ends and the sounds of our plane lands…we are then transported into another world.

The second track, “Polynesian Village Love Theme” is a lush (no pun intended), beautiful Hawaiian-style tune (complete with ukulele…a Tikiyaki first if I’m not mistaken) that will evoke images of a tropical paradise or a Brady Bunch montage of sight-seeing around the island.

No one can accuse Jim Bacchi of not being able to write a catchy tune, and the title track “Aloha Baby!” is no exception. And it keeps getting more exciting from there…

“Aloha Baby!” is a very sophisticated album, rich with mixture of Exotica, Crime Jazz and “Tiki Noir”. “In Search of Mei Ting” sounds like the ultimate “detective in the night time Hawaiian underground” soundtrack. And “Kono’s Revenge” is a show stopper of show stoppers. The album ends thematically as the last one did with “Hawai’I Nocturne”, which lulls us off peacefully, much like “Poku Moho” did on the “Jungle Jetset” album.

The entire album exhibits such a confidence in itself that it seems impossible not to appreciate it’s very existence. The Tikiyaki Orchestra has evolved from Jim Bacchi’s grand solo experiment to a bona fide orchestra that really knows what they’re doing...and clearly has fun doing it. They are truly masters of their craft and it really shines through in this album.

This is really an incredible album. It is so well constructed that you owe it to yourself to listen to it in the exact order as it is designed. Putting your iPod on shuffle or random would steal some of the artistry of this album like cheap booze lessens the Mai Tai.

Aloha Baby!
Joe Banks

[ Edited by: Joe Banks 2011-07-24 16:31 ]

Post #599084 by Joe Banks on Sun, Jul 24, 2011 4:30 PM