Customer Reviews

Ultra-Lounge / Saxophobia Volume Twelve

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I liked the swinging sounds of mellow saxophone, just beautiful background music while I work at the dreary job of accounting. I especially like the Bongo Bash. Most sax CDs are much too "Jazzy" but this is relaxing and refreshing.

This CD is another one of my favorites in the ULTRA LOUNGE series. You don't necessarily have to like the saxophone to enjoy these--you just need to be the type of person who is galvanized by such memorable tunes as "Harlem Nocturne," "Street Scene," or "One Mint Julep." Great stuff. Incidentally, on this CD, and on volumes 7 to 11, there is a very enjoyable and amusing bonus track (it's not listed, but it's there after the last "real" CD track). Listening to a continental playboy-type wooing his lady while a lush organ percolates in the background is one of the highlights of these and the other five volumes.

With the saxophone as the link between these selections, I was a little nervous that the Ultra-Lounge series might have gone too far - but not to worry! From "Samba De Orfeu" by Bill Perkins to a smooth version of "Harlem Nocturne" by Louis Prima & Sam Butera - you have a great collection of Lounge Sax music. Another great addition to a wonderful series!

The sound quality of the Ultra-Lounge series is excellent, even though the songs were recorded mostly in the 50's and 60's. Capitol Records packs each CD with carefully chosen tracks consistent with the theme of the particular volume in the series. Many of the selections that appear here aren't available elsewhere, either because the original album on which the song appeared is out of print, or because the song was issued as a single and never collected in an album. A few 'previously unreleased' tracks also appear here. This series is a wonderful introduction to the music of a by-gone era, and each album includes detailed notes on each track (artist, writers, date recorded, how released, etc.). I heartily recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this type of music.

Again, as with my other Ultra Lounge purchases, these compliations are great fun to mix together on your ipod and have drinks with friends on the patio during a hot summer night.

Volume 12 in the Ultra-Lounge series features the primal power of the saxophone as a lounge instrument. Relax to lounge classics like Watermelon Man, Volare, Goldfinger, Caravan and Harlem Nocturne.

Nothing can be finer that Ultra Lounge - never a bad thing to say.

Another get what you pay for thing. There is so much other instument accompaniment, the sax gets lost, few of these songs feature the sax and many times it is subdued. This could have just as easily been called Bongo-phobia.