Ah Hawaii….  Every time I think of it, it’s like I’m standing on the beach with Ray Walston, staring out over the South Pacific at Bali Hai.

Unfortunately, we can’t all be Obama.  Not all of us are lucky enough to have allegedly been born in the Aloha State.  There is a solution, though.  The fabulous sounds of Martin Denny. 

Throughout the 50’s and 60’s, piano player Martin Denny was the king (and arguably creator) of exotica,a musical sub-genre that embraced the mysteries of the far away islands.  At the height of the tiki-bar movement Denny became a musical god, a bringer of strange and wondrous sounds designed to compliment your rum.  Sadly, when the tiki fad was abandoned during the taste-apocalypse that was the 1970’s, Denny faded into obscurity.

These days, he’s regained his former fame, influencing a whole new generation of exotica artists.  The Martin Denny Blog is dedicated to keeping his memory, and music, alive.  Click on over and check it out.  There’s a wealth of history, and most of his albums are available for download.

-Robert Laurie

http://themartindennyblog.blogspot.com/