Rich, flowing melodies set in exotic instrumental arrangements
...
LES BAXTER'S
jewels
of the sea
...
For as long as man has beheld the ocean's splendor, inspiration has come with the tides and stayed to work
its magic on his imagination. To a composer the sea offerswondrous motion, a shimmering surface of flowing beauty, liquid depths of romance, enchantment and mystery. Composer-arranger-conductor Les Baxter has gratefully accepted these things, and distilled them into exotic miniatures of dream-like orchestral beauty — sparkling, opalescent gems.
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Side One
SUNKEN CITY: Percussive sounds chime like ripples, then pound like waves as blendings of voices and electronic effects call a strange tune from beneath the melodic surface.
STARS IN THE SAND: The flute and the organ sing of a lonely beach, while
strings stir like a breeze turning the grains of sand into glittering stardust.
SEA NYMPH: Bewitchingly she darts across the piano and celesta, listens as woodwinds play a bright melody, pauses to dance a comic samba, then darts away again.
SINGING SEA SHELLS: They sing like woodwinds, like strings, like an organ.
They sing a beautiful, happy melody, and chime softly as waves wash them along the beach.
DOLPHIN: Piano and snare drum
punctuate his rhythm as he flashes majestically by, turning and glistening in sun-drenched swells to the sweeping tune of strings and woodwinds.
DAWN UNDER THE SEA: The first tinkling rays strike the surface, then become more intense as the watery prism reflects them far beneath the surface to warm the depths.
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Side Two
THE ENCHANTED SEA: Like a mystic paradox, the enchanted sea is as changeable as its melody-now serene and inviting, now strange and almost mysterious.
THE GIRL FROM NASSAU:
Neverfar from the sea, this enchanted Bahamian maid is somewhat
paradoxical, too. She moves with tranquil charm, yet her Caribbean-style humor keeps breaking in with a sprightly tempo.
THE ANCIENT GALLEON: How majestically it sails, almost ponderous,
as it moves rhythmically in bolero motion over the timeless waters.
CORAL CASTLE: It stands motionless, listening to all the sea has to tell a story from the flute and bells, the organ's bizarre tale, the woodwinds gentle recount, and finally, the grand, sweeping saga of the strings.
DANCING DIAMONDS: They seem like diamonds, glistening so brightly. But it's difficult to tell whether these are
gems of substance, or the sun's rays flashing on brilliant jewels of the sea.
JEWELS OF THE SEA: What precious jewels these are, that change hue at the slightest whim, that drift lazily for awhile, then transform themselves into a million dazzling sparkles Les Baxter's orchestra plays their praise, in a composition as rich in beauty and varied movement as these magnificent jewels of the sea.
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Leslie Thompson Baxter (March 14, 1922 – January 15, 1996) was an American composer, conductor, and musician. After working as an arranger and composer for swing bands, he developed his own style of easy listening music, known as exotica and scored over 250 radio, television and motion pictures numbers.
Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory of Music before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. From 1943 on he played tenor and baritone saxophone for the Freddie Slack big band. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer. At the age of 23 he joined Mel Tormé's Mel-Tones, singing on Artie Shaw records such as "What Is This Thing Called Love?"
Baxter then turned to arranging and conducting for Capitol Records in 1950 ... -- Wikipedia
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