Chance Meeting
Friday March 14th, 2025 with Heavy Ben
Les Baxter

Chance meeting on a lost city of a pyramid and a tiger We mark the birthday of Lex Baxter (b. Mar 14 1922, d. Jan 15 1996), whose "Quiet Village" from 1951 set in motion the Exotica movement. This afternoon, we're setting sail on a sonic voyage, venturing into the exotic, the theatrical, and the downright thrilling. We're shining a spotlight on a true innovator, a musical adventurer who painted vivid soundscapes: the legendary Les Baxter. From his pioneering work in exotica to his thrilling film scores, Baxter's music transported listeners to far-flung lands and cinematic realms. Born on this day - March 14 - in 1922 in Texas, Baxter's career began in the 1940s, playing piano and saxophone for big bands and swing jazz before turning to arranging and conducting for Capitol Records in 1950. He conducted the orchestra for early Nat King Cole hits and recorded albums for Yma Sumac. In 1951, Les Baxter made the original recording of "Quiet Village" for his album "Le Sacre Du Sauvage (Ritual of the Savage)", the title of which is a tribute to Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite Of Spring'. Baxter's style of jazz, international melodies and rhythms, and lounge music was later dubbed "Exotica" after "Quiet Village" was a hit for Martin Denny in 1959. Baxter scored 250 radio, television and motion pictures numbers from the mid 1950s through the 1970s. When soundtrack work fell off in the 1980s, he scored music for theme parks such as SeaWorld. Get ready to immerse yourselves in the intoxicating blend of lush strings, tribal rhythms, and sheer imaginative genius that defined the sound of Les Baxter. Let the adventure begin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Baxter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exotica (to embiggen the show icon, right-click and choose "Open image in new tab")