Les Baxter - 101 Strings – Que Mango!

Unless you were swingin' hard in 1970, keeping the cocktail nation alive and well for a few more years, chances are a commercial for Dockers lead you here. Thanks to Thievery Corporation's compilation entitled "DJ Kicks", Les Baxter's track two of "Que Mango!", "Tropicando", was used beautifully in a late 90's ad. Its unofficial title is "Meet the Family", as seen on YouTube. I can't say enough about the intoxicating, psychedelic strings on "Tropicando", throw in a funky surf rock, lounge break on the bridge and you've got jet set magic. I highly recommend picking up a clean copy of the vinyl versus obtaining this track via "DJ Kicks". I love a lot of works by Thievery Corp. but I recall their liner notes saying that they remastered the track. I think you lose a lot of the warmth and midrange dynamics on their remaster. It could also just be the magic of the right vinyl setup too. I'd like to mention two other worthy tracks on the album that go nicely as companions to "Tropicando". "Felicia My Love" is a poignant, haunting bossa. The real contender that is almost the best track on the album though is "Boca Chica". It is lush 60's romance and nostalgia at its best. You can bet the farm that Dr. Thaddeus S. "Rusty" Venture had this record in his collection at the Venture compound. Les Baxter's arrangements of the  50's and 60's are on the same level as his slightly later contemporaries of the 60's and 70's, Henry Mancini and Michel Legrand. Pick up "Que Mango!".