Cocktails

Joey Altruda | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Will Records
• ASIN: B0000030KV
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #324,052 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Tropical Espionage

2. A Martini for Mancini

3. The Brothers Go to Mother's

4. Remembering Jobim

5. Cha Cha #69

6. April in Portugal

7. Mambo Bardot

8. Mucci's Jag, Mk II

9. Playboy's Theme

10. Christy

11. Melancholy Serenade

12. Cocktails With Joey

13. Theme for Shelly Bomb

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sophisticated retro-lounge, March 8, 2002

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Cocktails (Audio CD)

This 1995 entry in the lounge revival is a real sleeper. While Combustible Edison and others generated more national attention, Altruda put together a recording that relies less on retro-kitsch and more on sophisticated arrangements and fine playing. Henry Mancini is an obvious touch-point for this effort, with the maestro's "The Brother's Go To Mothers" (originally featured as incidental music in 1959's Peter Gunn television series) providing a superb organ-led workout. Altruda's own "A Martini for Mancini," is a worthy bossa-nova homage to the master, featuring lively vibes, flute and Hammond B-3, accompanied by a swanky, swirling horn arrangement.

Altruda's originals feature elements of several '50s masters in addition to Mancini. The latin sounds of Perez Prado, and the inventive arrangements of Juan Garcia Esquivel are obvious influences, as are the soundtracks of Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota, and the exotica sounds of Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman. The opener, "Tropical Espionage" blends the bird calls of Denny with a sophisticated horn chart and a bird-like flute lead. "Remembering Jobim" features the Stan Getz-inspired saxophone of Doug Webb and a melody mindful of Antonio Carlos Jobim's classics.

The oft-covered "April in Portugal" (nearly a standard of loungecore, with covers by Esquivel, The Three Suns, Enoch Light, Les Baxter, Perez Prado, Ray Anthony, Bert Kaempfert, and many, many more) adds a bit of rock 'n' roll to the bossa nova beat, while "Mambo Bardot" drops the tempo for a slow, mysterious dance befitting it's original setting in the film "And God Created Woman." Cy Coleman's theme for Hugh Hefner's "Playboy After Dark" television program features the superbly cool piano stylings of Red Young and fine sax from Doug Webb and Plas Johnson. Finally, Jackie Gleason's "Melancholy Serenade," best known as the theme for "The Honeymooners" is re-imagined as a cha-cha.

This seems to be an undeservedly overlooked album among lounge revivalists. Altruda's lifelong devotion to the easier side of jazz pays off big on this debut.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Gem, July 21, 2005

By 

M. Conklin (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cocktails (Audio CD)

this release was the catalyst for my lounge music buying binges back in the day and it has turned out to be the definitive release that i have judged all modern lounge releases by. yes, it's that great. altruda's mission for this release was to offer the listener ". . . the full spectrum of the cocktail sounds", and while henry mancini has certainly influenced the music and arrangements on this release in huge part, there are odes to many other influential artists and arrangers as well. there are hints of jobim, george shearing, jackie gleason, herbie mann, lalo schifrin, willie bobo and a truckload of others. huge big band numbers, small combos, quiet bossa nova pieces, and smokin' latin swingers are all represented. on the downside, this release is what i have judged all of joey altruda's other releases by, which probably isn't fair. he's released some good stuff since, but nothing compares to this gem.

5.0 out of 5 stars One More Cocktail, Please Joey!!!, August 17, 2004

By 

Tim D. (Baton Rouge, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cocktails (Audio CD)

This CD is, in all honesty, one of my favorite albums of all time. The playing is superb, be it Joey's cool, James Bond-style tremolo guitar or the awesome sound of the mighty Hammond B-3 organ. Joey's originals sit perfectly next to other composer's work, and his cover of Henry Mancini's The Brothers Go To Mothers is one of the very coolest tunes to be ever captured by a recording device. It is amazing, wait...AMAZING that something like this came out in the 90's. This stuff can and should inspire any musician who hears it. My only gripe with it is the cover. Surely they could've come up with something a little better than that?!?!? The back is cool, but man, oh man, that cover! Anyway, its the music that really counts and it rates a perfect 10 from me.