Kay Kyser & His Orchestra, I’ll Be Seeing You – I’m going a ways back in the Mr. Booze musical time machine with this one. I’d like to hope I have readers that remember Kay Kyser and understand & appreciate his unique way with a big band, but for those of you unfamiliar with his “College of Musical Knowledge,” let me tell you that there was nothing at all like this 40’s swing band and how entertainingly they can fit in to a night ‘round the home bar. There’s an awful lot of 1940’s energy locked away into this music. You can listen and hear the fun that was offered up through these mostly recognizable tunes. It sounds like a great big auditorium party captured for us. I like this recording with the old drinks. An Old Fashioned and the Let’s Get Lost big band style works wonderfully. The majority of these tracks were recorded for Armed Forces Radio so they’re all top-drawer in terms of production value. I realize that big band music isn’t everyone’s cup o’ tea, but…this isn’t your everyday big band recording; it’s loaded with an energy very reminiscent of Crosby/Hope and Abbott & Costello movies. Anything by Kay Kyser in this era deserves a couple hours with cocktails in the living room. Check him out. Songs include Great Day, I’ll Be Seeing You, Brazil, In My Arms & 23 more.

Phil Harris, His Original and Greatest Hits – I try and stay away from “Greatest Hits” recordings, honest I do. I don’t feel they capture the essence of the artist, having flushed away all musical themes, feelings, and intentions the actual album originally intended. But, on occasion, a “hits” album works as it does with this one by Phil Harris. You’ll recognize his voice if you’ve ever seen Disney’s Jungle Book. He voiced Baloo, the bear. I guess I’d describe him as a folk singer with big band orchestration that now leans towards nostalgia. He sings about the life around him that for us, no longer exists. His smoky baritone is perfect for part of an eclectic rotation of music during a night of home entertaining. When I put this album on someone always stops to listen. You just don’t hear stuff like this anymore, and it’s a shame ‘cause it’s fantastic. I wouldn’t kick off a party with Phil Harris, but I’d sure play him two hours deep when the gears are properly lubricated and a tweak in the fun department is called for. Songs include That’s What I Like About the South (for my Southern fans, this is an absolute must own), It’s a Good Day, & Smoke Smoke Smoke That Cigarette.

Johnny Mathis, Heavenly – You know, I wasn’t always a fan of Johnny Mathis and still consider him a “right place at the right time” sort of singer believing that his lovely but soft, lilting voice can be, at times, hard to fit into a night of thick jazz or bourbon voiced singers. Having said that, Mathis truly is gifted. You just need the proper set of home bar circumstances to let him come out and entertain. I play his music at the shank of the evening when either the conversation is hushed down a bit, you’re down to your best friends, or you’re entertaining more romantically with a couples dinner party. He never interrupts with his singing; he adds a rich tone to late night that goes perfectly with that last bottle of red, that final Manhattan or that whiskey spiked coffee. No one sings like Johnny Mathis…no one. This album has the gems. Songs include More Than You Know, Misty, That’s All, A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening and more.

Johnny Hartman, I Just Dropped By To Say Hello – I’ve heard folks compare Hartman’s singing with Billy Eckstine, and I just don’t agree. While both were excellent singers and both deserve mention on this page (don’t worry, Mr. Eckstine will arrive shortly), Hartman sang as if a jazz instrument and in a different style entirely. There are a few singers I carry into my cocktail parties like the gin, vermouth, whiskey and rum necessary, and Johnny Hartman can be considered a necessary ingredient. A while back and down the page, I reviewed an album he did with John Coltrane. Well, I’m inviting you now to listen to how Mr. Hartman’s songs stand up and alone as jazz standards. Sure he was backed by some of the princes on the instrument side with guys like Hank Jones on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar and Illinois Jacquet on tenor sax. Hartman’s the instrument of this recording. These soft, cigarette stained melodies will raise the bar on your get-together creating a sophisticated event in combination with gin martinis, rye manhattans and a bed overflowing with winter coats. Songs include In the Wee Small Hours…, I Just Dropped By To Say Hello & If I’m Lucky.

Victor Buono, Heavy – I’ve reviewed a few 60’s comedy albums & oddities before. Remember Bob Newhart & Orson Wells? This one kind of falls into both categories. Way too self-deprecating to be considered today, I like this record because Victor Buono was smart, and his intelligence shines through on this recording like a light bulb. Not for everyone by any means, I bring this to your attention ‘cause I realize some of you there who entertain with cocktails at home, occasionally like to spice it up with a queer pick from the past bordering on the kitschy that can hold its own. Buono recorded this live at some cool supper club in LA back in ’71 (just a guess on where). I enjoy it because it’s clean and rhythmic and cool and old school. If you’re searching for something different that will play interestingly with a whiskey sour or two, try this one.

Jim Backus, The Comedy Classic – I’ll be short and sweet with this 2nd comedy album review with this batch. I apologize to those of you not into this sort of recordings. I’m only mentioning them because I feel they really can be enjoyed ‘round the home bar. They often impart a lost feeling of fun as it once was bellied up to the basement bar, that I feel a few are worth a mention, though I promise not to make a habit of it. For those of you like me, who love the cocktails history, there’s some great “drunk guy” humor on this record, clean enough to play around your kids yet hilarious enough to still get you slapping the table top w/ Jim’s impersonations of the boozer at the Xmas party or at the bar on the way home from work. If you like movies like It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Russians Are Coming, you’ll like this old classic comedy album actually recorded for folks to enjoy while having drinks at their home bars. Can you believe it!

The Rat Pack (Frank, Dean & Sammy), Live and Swingin’ – I have the original Live at The Villa Venice discs that this was edited from, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I don’t know why I’m so all over the board with this batch of reviews but all sorts of cool for the home bar recordings are popping into my head, this being a jewel. Going into this one, you have to remember that “politically correct” was a term not even considered at the time, so if you’re easily offended, you may wanna take a pass. Apparently, the 3 played the Villa Venice on account of some organized crime department, favor or promise one of them had made, and hence had to return once a year to entertain the wise guys. Even so, the tuxedoed trio put on their Vegas show in the windy city perfectly. I bought it because I was beyond interested; I wanted to know what it was like when The Rat Pack performed. Was I impressed? Well, hell yes and so shall you be if you buy this recording. A perfect break between hands at your poker game or for a fun night out on the patio with friends and high-balls.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook – Ella Fitzgerald is a lot like Frank Sinatra in terms of establishing herself in most Jazz Vocalist record collections. Chances are if you’re interested in the kind of music represented in this section, you have an Ella disc in your home. She covers the standards, scats with discipline and elegant restraint, makes listeners feel a bit more grown-up and sophisticated, I get it. But…with this record, she teams up with the greatest American Popular catalog ever written. Johnny Mercer, the Huckleberry Friend’s songs and Ella Fitzgerald’s way with a song team-up for recorded magic. Did I mention that Sinatra conductor, Nelson Riddle lends his baton to the show? This is a positively brilliant album that often is missed by Ella fans both serious and casual. Songs include Too Marvelous For Words, I Remember You, Day In, Day Out and Something’s Gotta Give.

Jeri Southern: The Very Thought Of You, The Decca Years 1951 – 1957 – Jeri Southern sings tired; that’s the best and most encompassing way to describe this mid-Western transplant. I suppose “road-weary” and “experienced” may be more appropriate adjectives, but I’ll stick with tired. Jeri Southern sings like she knows exactly what she’s singing about — love gone bad, hope, promise and some regret. Here’s a gal that toured Europe during WWII, after embracing jazz as a later career, who sings with such control and soft finesse, you’ll swear she has lived each moment of each lyric. This isn’t an up-tempo, frilly vocal jazz record, no sir. Jeri Southern is the soft-spoken girl in the back of the room who, eventually, turns your head and whispers to you ‘til you get it. Put this one on around ten, when everyone’s had one or two and is ready to lose themselves in some wonderfully soft vocals.

Barbra Joan Streisand – Don’t worry, I’m not a Barbra head, scrambling for $400 tickets when she comes to town every 3 years on yet another “Final Tour.” I’ll admit she has a dynamite voice, which she has spread on an awful lot of records I haven’t listened to over the past four decades. I only own this one album, but here’s the rub — parts of it are beyond brilliant and deserve a listen when teamed with a fireplace, a malted scotch, or small batch bourbon. Out of the eleven songs on the disc, four are simply superb. Her version of the Hal David-Burt Bacharach’ song(s) One Less Bell To Answer/A House Is Not A Home, is, without a doubt, the best version ever recorded (umm, forget about what I said about the Fifth Dimension’s version in my Bacharach album reviews below). Just download it and listen. She also sings great versions of The Summer Knows (from Summer of ’42) and I Never Meant To Hurt You on this album.

Jo Stafford: Autumn In New York & Starring Jo Stafford –
Another slow, soft & smooth one from America’s female Pied Piper. For me, Jo Stafford is the 40’s & 50’s. There’s something so lost, so yesteryear & romantic about her voice, I put her records on when I want to be reminded about music and life as it used to be. This double album has that big band, jazz spirit that you look for when the weather turns a little chilly and the spicy, ginger cocktails come out. Jo swings from big band treatments to torch song expressions on both records, so it really doesn’t feel like much of a jump from one record to the other. The Autumn in NY is my favorite of the two, with Jo covering Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Just One Of Those Things, Autumn In New York and more. The “Starring” half contains No Other Love, The Gentlemen Is A Dope, Day By Day and more not as well known picks.

Nancy Sinatra: How Does That Grab You? –
I really like Nancy and feel she more than fits into a night of cocktails and friends. I like how she pulled a 180 on her father’s territory and swung and strode her way into the younger generation’s go-go nightclubs. I like her white-frosted lips, her wicked mini-skirts, her famous boots, and her sincere 60’s attitude. I like her music a lot too, and this album pretty much captures the spirit of the other Sinatra. She’s kind of a cool bit*# in this album and that aspect of it doesn’t date. With a seriously sexy, tries-hard-voice, Nancy almost picks a fight on this record. I’d go 60’s with my drinks on this one, and mix up Martinis, Harvey Wallbangers, Grasshoppers, & Stingers. Like a lot of my music picks, if you’re a dabbler, you only need one, and How Does That Grab You? can be your Nancy Sinatra album (‘til you realize how cool she is and go back for more). Songs include the amazing Bang, Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down, Until It’s Time For You To Go, Call Me, and Feelin’ Kinda Sunday (a duet w/ her dad).

Spotlight On Keely Smith –
Let’s go back to 1950’s Las Vegas again and drink and gamble with one of Sin City’s star entertainers, Keely Smith. I love Keely and Louis Prima, and I haven’t forgotten that for most of the time, they’re as inseparable as salt and pepper. That being said, Keely Smith was a great vocalist on her own and can more than hold her own during your next cocktail party. Like a few of the 50’s & 60’s sirens, Keely is a one-of-a-kind with a soft lilting, girl’s voice exploding above the bee-bop jazz swing that thunderously accompanied her. She carries her Virginia southern accent straight into her singing and the result is intoxicating. This “best of” collection is up-tempo and will have your guests feeling a part of yesteryear in Vegas. Songs include You Go To My Head, I’ll Get By, Mr. Wonderful and Stormy Weather.

Mambo With Tjader – Recorded back in the fall of 1954, this Mambo record debuted at the near pinnacle of the tiki wave. I became hypnotized by this album’s cover (just look at this cat, he’s definitely caught the fever), but went on to discover that Cal Tjader had caught lightening in a bottle. It’s like the artist combined the cool, NYC style jazz of the era and combined it with tight, rhythmic, Mambo cha-cha-cha-strong accents. Tjader’s bongo and vibes playing combined with the rest of his band’s established 1950’s jazz background will really send you. Sophisticated, fun, and very reminiscent of the Cuban sound invasion of the previous decade, if you kick off a tiki party with this one, buddy, you’re setting a strong vibe. Songs include This Can’t Be Love, Cherry, Miami Blues and Midnight Sun.

The Very Best Of Tito Puente “King of Kings” – After being turned on to traditional big band Cuban Mambo in the movie “The Mambo Kings”, I tried to go out and find some of this 1950’s vinyl and delve deeper into this gorgeous, Latin sound. A swing and a miss because I can’t find any of the old originals. Next best thing, in my book and especially when you’re learning, are these “best of” packages. This one was released back in 2002 and is quite affordable. You get 21 Mambo powerhouses on this record. An ultimate twilight album, this one is ripe for that golden hour between late afternoon and darkness when the grill is hot, the party lights are swaying in the breeze, your guests are on their 3rd daiquiri and you’ve just put the meat on. Big Band Mambo is a thick, heavy sound, which will permeate your gathering like a cool breeze. No familiar standards Latinized for your listening enjoyment, these are all original, bold, brassy, bongo and vibe-laden songs which will absolutely get your hips swaying or at the very least your palms tapping the top of the tiki bar. Songs include Dance of the Headhunters, Dance Mania, Mambo Gozon and Night Ritual. This is a collection from a legendary percussionist and band leader, all great songs.

The Exciting Sounds of Martin Denny: Exotica Volumes 1 & 2 – Wow, do you get a lotta bang for your buck with this collection. For those of you out of “the know”, Martin Denny was a pianist and composer who fathered a 1950’s style of music known as Exotica. He literally created a style of orchestration which celebrated tiki culture which, believe me, was huge 60 years ago. Basically, Martin’s Exotica was supposed to be played when you were sipping rum drinks out of scorpion bowls with long straws and eating the, as then unheard of, egg roll and mu-gu-gai-pan. By playing Denny’ Exotica at your exotic drink get-together, you’re merely continuing a tried-and-true tradition just forgotten. Well, I believe it’s time we welcomed this tradition back to our candlelit patios. This music is less demanding than other records I’ve recommended here; this is background music designed to invoke thoughts of exotic and mysterious locales. Very imaginative, provocative and conducive to ice cold, layered drinks, adult banter and soft conversation. If you’re up for something cool and different, you can’t go wrong with Exotica…just open your mind a little (rum helps). Songs include Lotus Land, Jungle Flower, Singing Bamboos and Ah Me Furi.

Ultra-Lounge: Tiki Sampler – I’ve mentioned these Ultra-Lounge collections before, although not this one. I’m scared kids! These are now starting to get hard to find, so I urge you to scramble and gather as many of them as you can find before it’s too late. I’m not too sure how much of these forgotten gems will be available for download later, there’s just not that much of a demand. This is a great, fun album that’s light enough to play during your party. It’s a collection of exotic and tiki themed songs from the rest of the ultra-lounge albums. A real mish-mash of songs, this is a kinda perfect one to put on when things begin to go a bit zany. In no way coherent, your guests will be bounced around from one rummy song to another. Bottom line? Tons o’ fun. Songs include Munsters Theme, Boy From Ipanema (take that, Stan Getz), Come On-A My House, and Brazil. These are all songs by different, popular artists from back in the day, all of whom you should recognize. The TV themes are orchestrated versions. This is tough to find (should take you about an hour on the Internet) but well worth it.

Come Softly To Me: The Very Best Of The Fleetwoods – Nocturnally surreal, that’s how I would describe this record. You know how every now and then, you and a friend or friends, or significant other are up late drinking? The rest of the house is asleep, yet for some reason you are still mixing manhattans and whispering to someone across the bar about something deep, or stupid, or just talking nonsense. I’ve rediscovered that The Fleetwoods, a singing trio from the late 1950’s, celebrate late, late nights. They’re a regular ode devoted to staying up late. This is music meant to be played softly, barely audible. The backing instruments, sparse as they are, combine brass jazz horn hooks, jazz guitar, Beatnik bongos, and little sprinkled riffs as if an angel were accompanying. It’s almost weird, I tell you, but sweetly hypnotizing and perfect for when you’re up way too late sipping cocktails. Songs include Come Softly To Me, Goodnight My Love, The Great Imposter and Runaround.

The Four Lads: 16 Most Requested Songs – Not that I think there’s anyone still alive requesting The Four Lads’ songs, I still feel they have their place. What you have to do when listening to this record is to use your imagination & think of the time in our past when heavy-handed, nostalgia music was common place. Husbands rushed home to warm living rooms, mixed a martini while their wives put the finishing touches on supper, and lost themselves to these simple, positive poems to good times. I love this recording while sipping the obvious drink choice, an Old-Fashioned. You have to be a little corny & square to “get it” but if you think you may be, this album can be loads of listening fun. Songs include Standing On The Corner, Fly Me To The Moon, and Breezin’ Along With The Breeze.

When I Fall In Love: The Lettermen – I’ll close out my visit to the great vocal groups of the 50’s and 60’s with The Lettermen. All three of my vocal band recommendations are schmaltzy and dated, but…so what? Sometimes, that’s exactly what I want to hear when I’m at my home bar. No one sounds like The Lettermen. They appear to have walked straight out of a Frankie and Annette beach movie. The mellow California sound (think early Beach Boys) permeates the trio’s music, making this record picture postcard perfect for a Harvey Wallbanger. The harmonies here are, at times, downright amazing. I’ll recommend this one, once again, only to the few of you out there who can handle a trip back to a time when goofy was sometimes the norm. Songs include When I Fall In Love, Sealed With a Kiss, Come Back Silly Girl and If Ever I Would Leave You.

Blue Hawaii: Elvis Presley – You know when this album’s perfect? This Elvis soundtrack album, the only one I own, is just perfect for a day in the backyard with tiki drinks. I love tiki drinks and will be devoting (or have devoted) a special recipe section for them. There’s just something crazy-fun about a warm day, a silly shirt, flaming tiki-torches, a sizzling grill and round after round of tart, fruity, coco-nutty, rum thick tiki drinks and this Presley album … puts a shine on the whole thing. Even if you’re only whipping up a pitcher of banana daiquiris, Blue Hawaii will elevate your drinking experience tenfold. This is fun, charming, exotic, hilarious, nostalgic music ready to listen to on a chaise lounge with a tall, cool drink in your hand. Songs include Blue Hawaii, Rock-A-Hula-Baby, Beach Boy Blues and more. Out of print but very easy to find.

Gidget Goes Hawaiian/James Darren Sings For All Sizes – I’m just gonna keep with the tiki night picks. I have a tiki-bar our in my carport that my friends and I gather ‘round throughout all the warm months. We make exotic drinks, grill, laugh and listen to music. When that Hawaiian steel guitar bongo drums swell up in the background of our outside activities, I’ll tell ya, it’s something special. This is one of those import double albums that really are a good deal. Darren, before joining the cast of T.J. Hooker, had a nice career as a singer. His voice is excellent in a tough-guy sorta way. He swings and croons his way through the Gidget movie soundtrack and really holds his own through the American pop half of the CD. Songs include Gidget Goes Hawaiian, Not Mine, P.S. I Love You and Angel Face. This is an old fashioned, 50’s teen recording that works great with summer.

Come Spy With Me – Conductor Hugo Montenegro really threw one together when he recorded this album back in 1966. This is a killer collection of spy movie and TV theme songs perfectly meshed together. Hugo scored movies and TV shows so he knew what he was doing when he made this. He recorded albums of Man From U.N.C.L.E. music and spaghetti western themes. Honestly and in my opinion, one of the best thing this man recorded was the absolutely swinging opening theme to the I Dream of Jeannie show. C’mon, when you think about it, or remind yourself to really hear it on a re-run, this is the swinging-est theme ever on television. So, if you’re a fan of the great 60’s spy music that rolled out of Hollywood accompanying all those great kitschy movies, buy this, pour yourself a gin & tonic, put on your slippers and find your Walther ppk. Songs include Secret Agent Man, Theme From I Spy, Our Man Flint, The Silencers and more.

The Mills Brothers: All Time Greatest Hits – Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Nat Cole, Sinatra, I could go on, all of these performers listed the Mills Brothers as one of their major influences. The Mills Brothers, four men who knew jazz whom, when singing together in such unique harmony, pretty much infiltrated all popular singers music that came after. You’re not going to find any major, soul stirring instrumentation on this record. No sir, this is music meant to wrap you up in warm harmonies and leads. I like this greatest hits collection ‘cause it dips through the four brothers’ war and post-war years. You get a nice sampling of what these guys were capable of. Hopefully, it’ll lead you on to more specific records. After all, The Mills Brothers recorded some 2000 songs. This is soft, complex, comfy music for small affairs at home. A perfect record for bourbon & ginger and a few friends over.

I Know What It Is To Be Young: Orson Wells –This is a very odd recording made by America’s Olivier in the kick-off to his declining years. Probably mere months away from his Paul Masson’ “We’ll sell no wine before its time” commercial campaign, I can’t for the life of me imagine the motivation behind this recording. Did Orson think this was going to be a disc jockey ‘go-to’? What I can say about this record is that it’s weird, fun, entertaining and one-of-a-kind. I’ll occasionally put it on when having a drink or two, and I always bizarrely enjoy it. Orson, slow of breath and full of sigh, kind of sings as he imparts his old man wisdom on the day’s hip, acid-washed blue-jeaned wearing twenty something. You tell ‘em Orson Wells, teach these young punks what it’s like to look at life from the back nine. Bourbon rocks with this one.

Clifford Brown’s Finest Hour – I’ve heard him called jazz’s most skilled trumpeter, and I’m inclined to agree. Brown had such amazing control on even the slightest notes and changes. He’s so good that you have to wonder what else this man could have possibly, musically learned. You know why I love this album so much? It carries an absolute master’s skill of the craft into your living rooms and bars and wraps it in standards that you all know and love. Make no mistake about it — this is a pretty strong, no-punches-pulled jazz record, but, god love it, it flows perfectly into a festive evening. Ballads cushioned in attention calling trumpeting. How great is that? You get Sonny Rollins and Max Roach along for the ride, too. Songs include Stardust, I Get a Kick Out of You, Delilah, Cherokee and more. This is a cool album to play at a party. Twenty-five when he died which is the real shame.

The Country Side of Dean Martin – No longer in print (but there are plenty of used copies on sale for a song), this odd, hodgepodge collection of Dean’s exploration into the twangy side of standard pop is a grand throw-together. Released by Heartland Music back in 1998, somehow they managed to catch lightening in a bottle. It’s a collection album of some outstanding material from other Martin endeavors with more than a few drinking songs that I’d put on a top ten list. Little Old Wine Drinker Me ranks right up there with any drinker’s lament song including Sinatra’s One For My Baby. Dean’s version of By The Time I Get To Phoenix is more than worth a listen and his’ King Of The Road is bested only by Roger Miller’s original version. Every now and then I’ll put up an album that works best when you’re drinking alone. This is one of those albums because it’s just full of introspective, Dean Martin drinking songs.

The Nearness Of You: Ballads Played By Red Garland – After Oscar Peterson, Red Garland is my favorite jazz pianist and does, in no way, fall far behind. Piano jazz albums work on so many different cocktail levels. You can play them at big noisy parties as background music; you can play them at small gatherings to fill in the pregnant pauses that often permeate tipsy guests; or you can play them while you catch a drink alone or with your wife. This record slips easily into any of the three situations. It’s pretty soft, I’ll give you that, through slow tempo. But, with songs like Long Ago and Far Away, Where or When, and I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good, you will have a grand time listening. Red Garland, and I mean this as an absolute compliment, played the kind of piano you’d want to hear filtering out of a dim New York bar on a rainy night in say, 1962.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Soundtrack – The price is right to buy the entire CD yet, if you’re on a budget and download music, you can get a lot of cocktail music pleasure by just buying a few of the songs. I play this one at parties but find that I skip through a few of the songs which slow the mood down quite a bit. However, we all remember the cocktail party scene in Holly’s apartment as being one of the best, most energetic and hilarious party scenes ever filmed, and the music had a lot to do with it. So The Big Blow Out is a must. What can I say about Moon River that hasn’t been said — it’s a must-own and a must-be-played. Mancini and Mercer co-wrote one of the most beautiful theme songs in all of cinema, and not a cocktail party can be had without this song enjoyed. Great songs include Moon River (all versions), Latin Golightly, The Big Blowout and Hub Caps and Tail Lights.

Gene Ammons, Angel Eyes – I’m going heavy on the jazz in this winter’s music picks update but for a reason. When I’m inside more, as I am in the cold months, I spend a hell of a lot more time in my living room reading, or just hanging out with a drink. Jazz is perfect for this indoor downtime ‘cause you have more time to devote to simply listening.
Your mind isn’t wandering all over the place with the activities that warm weather brings. Here’s another one, folks — a musician so accomplished and soul-stirring that I have to mention this as another great cocktail album. Gene Ammons is a very deliberate sax player. One can hear the thought process in most of what he plays; it’s strong, penetrating music that will remind you a bit of film noir music. This is a very sexy, very haunting collection of mostly recognizable standards played for jazz enthusiasts or those in search of some great, soft vibe for their next dinner party. Songs include Angel Eyes, Getting Around, You Go To My Head and more. He recorded it right before going down the river on a narcotics rap back in ‘65.

The Very Best of Trini Lopez, The Reprise Years – How the hell does one classify Trini Lopez? I know I can’t. I suppose if there were a “fireball” category, he’d fit well into that. Part 60’s folk musician, part 50’s beat poet, part Texican country, part Darin-esque Vegas entertainer, this guy’s just the life of the party. What a unique and gifted singer you’ll find on this record. Sinatra’s Reprise Records was smart enough to scoop him for a couple of great albums, the gems that make an appearance here. Songs include Lemon Tree, I’m Coming Home Cindy, Are You Sincere, Sinner Man and more. Sunglasses, sour drinks with straws, a day out on the patio and Trini Lopez would add up to perfect.

Burt Bacharach Classics – Had the good fortune to catch Burt last summer with my wife for our anniversary. I was in awe. He’s the guy who wrote my favorite standard of the 60’s, the song that gets to me every time — Alfie. I’m almost at a loss for words with this talent. He’s the songwriting genius of my generation, and we all know his music. This album, which is another record absolutely perfect for a couple’s night in with cocktails and bridge mix, is an all Burt endeavor. Is he the best singer in the world? Not by a long shot, but he does sing well enough. Let’s face it, this record is one of a few that’s not about the voice; it’s about the songs, man … the songs. Twenty-three of ‘em on this disc which includes such brilliant works as Alfie, One Less Bell To Answer, Make It Easy On Yourself, and This Guy’s In Love With You. Perfect for a quiet drink at home.

The Very Best Of Burt Bacharach – I know I just this second reviewed an album by Burt above, but stay with me while I mention just one more. Whereas “Classics” is more of an overview by the artist on the artist, this record is more of a love letter to the artist. Simply a collection of great interpretations by singers, this record is a solid and extremely enjoyable choice for a small cocktail party or a night when friends drop over. Like I mentioned above, he’s the guy who wrote the songs anyone in their 40’s sang while growing up. Younger drinkers will certainly know his music from movies and the lounge circuit. Some of the songs you get here are Walk On By and I Say A Little Prayer by Dionne Warwick, Only Love Can Break A Heart by Gene Pitney, and the best version of One Less Bell To Answer by The Fifth Dimension. Somebody is always singing along to this CD soon after I put it on.

Lex Baxter, Ritual of the Savag – Exotica … this is the album that started that strange, hypnotic trend in music that lasted a decade or so. No toe tappers here, no humable melodies that will haunt you in the shower the next morning. This is true cocktail music created to be enjoyed sipping tiki drinks in the leafy wet annexes of yesterday’s Polynesian themed restaurants. Ritual of the Savage is a true sound experience that our parents used as audio lubricant to their own wild, rum and gin soaked parties. This is theme music for patio parties. Think rain forests, palmetto freckled beaches, rum and tiki drinks, cawing tropical birds and moonlit bamboo forests and you’ll have an idea about what’s in store if you take the plunge. If you buy it and love it as I do, the Exotica scene doors will be thrust wide open, and believe me, there’s more.

Chet Baker, It Could Happen To You – One of my earliest jazz singer purchases, this record opened a lot of doors for me. It was a crash course in jazzy love songs. I was in college and just so very tired of having people from Seattle yelling at me every time I turned on the radio when I met this guy on CD. Chet covers a lot of the more obscure standards here. I mentioned earlier that his voice is really unlike any other. He sings with such conviction, sadness and style that you’ll be truly impressed he was a trumpeter first. One of the most romantic albums ever recorded, in my opinion. Stir a pitcher of cold gin martinis and drift on off. Songs include I’m Old Fashioned, The More I See You, Old Devil Moon and Everything Happens To Me.

My Love Forgive Me/Sincerely Yours, Robert Goulet – This Canadian, who stole the musical Camelot from Richard Burton on Broadway back in 1961, really could sing. He poked fun of himself in the 80’s, tarnishing his own reputation, but at the same time showing how good-sported he was. He’s another beautiful example of the type of singer we’ve sadly lost. He was class-in-a-glass with a rich baritone that belted a soft show tune, love or torch song with the best of them. There’s a tenderness and empathy towards the songs he’s chosen found in his voice that I’m often blown away by. People forget, but he was hugely popular in the 60’s and was a cocktail party mainstay for a decade. Find out why as you pour the gimlets. Some songs included on this twofer are Tonight, What Kind Of Fool Am I, Now That It’s Ended and Ebb Tide.

Sammy Davis Jr. & Buddy Rich, The Sounds Of 66 – Recorded live at The Sands Hotel with the Buddy Rich Orchestra in Las Vegas in 1966, this is an absolute era on disc. Before Vegas had amusement parks, it had lounges where gamblers and their spouses, bachelors, gangsters and broads drank cocktails while being capital “E” entertained. This album electrifies plain and simple. We all dream about being in Vegas back in the day, and with this album you get a big old swallow of what it must have been like. Sammy Davis could sing and laugh and make jokes with the best of them. Need proof? Get this record. Perfect for a party or a poker game. Songs include Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead, What Now My Love, What The World Needs Now and more.

Tom Jones, Greatest Hits the Platinum Edition – May the 8th, 1998, Las Vegas, Nevada…Mr. Booze’ Wedding Day. That eve., while out and about with Mrs. Booze, celebrating the 1st day of a life-long, passionate and boozy relationship, the two giggling lovebirds make there way into a Vegas Strip theater to catch the quintessential Neon City’s ode to cool…Mr. Tom Jones. I’d never really caught the Jones bug, always kind of considered him too flashy, too showy til’ the House lights dimmed, brass horns came up, and Tom entered my life. Mrs. Booze didn’t see the lone tear make it’s way down my cheek that night. She didn’t look over as I softly bit me knuckle, but I’ll tell you this my friends…two life-long love affairs started that night in Sin City. You need some Tom Jones in your cocktail collection. Not a lot, just one will do in a pinch. But, that time will come. The night will call for more than lounge or jazz or standards. Hard to put into words…but Tom will find the time to make his mark on your party.

Anthony Newley – Love Is A Now And Then Thing/In My Solitude – I know he starred with Rex Harrison in Dr. Doolittle, an upbeat, delightful family film, but I’ve always thought of Singer/Composer, Anthony Newley as something of a sad-sack. He certainly had a way with the pen and a song and when others sang his beautiful songs, especially Sammy Davis Jr. the listener could be transported. When Newley sings his own songs and others, it’s time for a drink and a bit of reflection. His is the voice of the haunted artist; the voice that calls for a bourbon rocks, the gin and tonic, the strong drink for the strong words. I’m a huge fan of this singer/songwriter. He recorded some amazing songs, all with a twinge of sadness and a look of longing. This is a record for late nights. You’ll hear on this record Thrill is Gone, What’s Good About Goodbye, For All We Know, I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan and more. One of the greats, folks.

Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre : Finian’s Rainbow, Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me Kate, South Pacific – It’s a box-set, a few years our of print, and it’s pretty expensive, there …I got that out of the way. You have to find this! It’s off-the wall, fantastic! Back in 1963, Frank Sinatra pretty much invited anyone who was anyone in the music business to add voice to this collection of four-album collection of popular Broadway Shows. It so epic of a collection that I could ramble on about it. Here are just some of the stars and songs: Dinah Shore, The Hi-Lo’s, Jo Stafford, Keely Smith, The McGuire Sisters, Rosemary Clooney, Lou Monte, Debbie Reynolds, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra, singing songs like Old Devil Moon, Look To The Rainbow, I’ve Never Been In Love Before, Luck Be A Lady, I’ll Know, So In Love, Too Darn Hot, Why Can’t You Behave, Cock-Eyed Optimist, There’s Nothing Like A Dame, Bali Ha’i and dozens more. Back when Broadway was more than just children’s cartoons set to music (“sigh”) there were these glorious shows with songs still sung today. This boxed CD set came out in 2000 and if you’re fortunate enough to track one down on Amazon or ebay, you’ll make it your main go-to album for lazy Sunday afternoons with Brunch and a Bloody Mary. Find it, you’ll thank me.

The Mambo Kings Soundtrack – Besides being a damn good, period piece and movie, the Mambo Kings turned out to be a hell of an introduction to Latin Big Band and Mambo music for me. This record offers perfect introductions and exposure to Mambo greats like Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, The Mambo All-Stars and more. I knew very little about Mambo when I watched the movie back in 1991 but that changed soon after. Mambo and cocktails go together like rum and pineapple juice. Besides classic 50’s recordings, the album manages to thrill with the few more modern additions as well. Linda Ronstadt, The Gypsy Kings and even the star, Antonio Banderas all contribute wonderful ways. This is a great Latin Rhythm album built around a movie devoted to Mambo history. Here’s a record perfect for Rum, tropical juice and cigars.

Ed Ames – Who Will Answer?/My Cup Runneth Over – Hmmm? How do I put this? This is an Ed Ames double album, containing two of his biggest successes, that just drips with schmaltzy charm. It isn’t a jazz record nor is it a finger snappin’ vocal blockbuster. This is a double CD I go to when I want to be swept away in nostalgia as I sip my drink.
This guy had a voice. Ed Ames tackles just a medley of soft, hauntingly hummable, beautiful popular at the time, songs. He has a voice that you’ll never hear nowadays; a rich baritone that would have knocked ‘em dead on Broadway in say…around 1956. I’ve learned with many of these older singer’s albums, that music was not meant to be listened to everywhere. Records, back in the day, were for Hi-Fi stereos in deep, curtained living rooms, enjoyed with a iced Manhattan in your hand. This is not a CD for everyone but, if you like old movies and cast albums, occasionally sport a cardigan or smoke a pipe, then by all means. Songs include My Cup Runneth Over, Cherish, Watch What Happens and Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.

The Nearness Of You; Ballads Played by Red Garland – Back to Jazz for a sec. I’ve mentioned Oscar Peterson and his Jazz Piano albums on this site. Jazz Piano and late evening cocktails, I can’t think of a better party combination. So, I must continue this marriage by mentioning this wonderful Red Garland record. Discovered by Miles Davis, Garland played piano in many important and amazing Jazz groups. With this recording, he concentrates on just ballads, making a statement perfect for entertaining. Soft, non obtrusive yet titillating enough to more than fill a room with music, this Ballad album mixes perfectly with whatever’s cold and in your shaker. Songs include Long Ago and Far Away, Where or When, Lush Life and Don’t Worry About Me.

Blue Note Plays Sinatra – If you like Frank Sinatra and you like Jazz standards then this is really a Mr. Booze no-brainer. You get many of the greats with this one – Miles blowin’ horn on It Never Entered My Mind; Dexter Gordon’s big, fat sax playing Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry; Sonny Rollins’ I’ve Got You Under My Skin; I could go on. This is a great, no vocals record for the shank of the evening, when people are a little drunk and the conversations are a little heavy. Background music that demands a little attention. Sinatra was a living jazz instrument so you just know that his songs work wonderfully with pure jazz. a great Latin Rhythm album built around a movie devoted to Mambo history. Here’s a record perfect for Rum, tropical juice and cigars.

Andy Williams – Honey/Happy Heart – What can I say, Andy Williams is an acquired taste and I happened to acquire it as a child watching his Christmas Specials on TV. This guy’s voice and song delivery just scream 1960’s, family-friendly far-out fun. I don’t listen to Andy Williams often but when I do, these are the records. Andy successfully tries to bridge the generation gap by tackling such hippy ballads as Simon and Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair; Windy and Little Green Apples. Andy also manages to squeeze in a couple 60’s tearjerkers like Honey; By The Time I get To Phoenix and Didn’t We. Light and breezy like an icy Harvey Wallbanger, this CD calms the nerves. So slip into a pair of white bellbottoms, throw on the ascot … and indulge. Andy’s groooovy.

Dakota Staton -Time To Swing – Title kinda says it all. What a set of pipes on this Jazz Singer. She was amazing and this record is a fantastic dip in the pool. Another one of those 1950’s, jazzy, tap-your-toes recordings, this record positively calls for a drink. Perfect for a small gathering or a big ole’ birthday bash, Ms. Staton will absolutely entertain. You’ll find it goes well with long, cold drinks like a Buck or Planters Punch. Let’s bring swinging and music back, shall we?

Peggy Lee – The Man I Love – This is a pretty interesting and entertaining album. Peggy Lee sings, Frank Sinatra conducts and Nelson Riddle Arranges. Three enormous talents of the time, teaming up on a standards album is a rare thing and one worth playing during your next night of adult imbibing. This isn’t a particularly up-tempo album, but then again, you can’t always be playing head-bobbers. This one’s great for when the folks come over, or for after a big meal when the ashtrays and snifters are coming out. Songs like The Man I Love; That’s All; Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe and He’s My Guy remind you to slow things down, relax and taste your drink. This is a warm album. (wonder if that’s Sinatra w/ Peggy on the cover?)

The Oscar Peterson Trio – A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra – An all-weather recording that goes just as well with a winter night and a rich Bourbon and Ginger as it does with a spring evening out on the patio with a fresh Mai Tai, pianist Oscar Peterson slides over Sinatra’ standards with the grace and subtle charm of a perfect bartender. Sinatra was a Jazz vocalist, and the choices he made with the songs he picked reflect a jazzy spirited edge easily borrowed within other musical boundaries. Overplayed standards, the mainstay of elevators and early bird specials, become cocktail drinking jewels when explored by my favorite jazz pianist. No vocals, just pure, soft tempos are what this record’s all about. Just in Time, The Tender Trap, Witchcraft, How About You, will become the subtle background music of whatever 80-proof evening you happen to be planning.

John Coltrane – My Favorite Things – Stickin’ with wonderful jazz recordings for a minute, this effort by Coltrane absolutely demands to be played three-fourths of the way through an at-home night of soft, well thought out imbibing. Look at it this way, you’ve gone through the enjoyable effort of inviting the right friends over; you’ve been mixing the right cocktails, peanut bowls are empty, a chair is piled high with coats, the sitter still has another hour upstairs with the kids, why not drop the party into low gear and play some music that will have all your guests speak a little more softly, listen a bit more intently, savor the flavor of the evening more. That’s what this recording does. Mr. Booze loves his standards, loves a song he knows well no matter the interpretation. Coltrane’s interpretation of My Favorite Things, Every Time We Say Goodbye, Summertime and But Not For Me is an absolute perfect period at the end of the sentence called your party. Trust me on this one.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out – Since I went out of my way to point out a suggested playing time for the above recording, I’ll stay with it and suggest this recording be played sometime around your perceived mid-point of your cocktail party. Most all your guests will recognize Dave Brubeck’s
recording of Take Five, and rightly so. It’s been used over the years in many shows and movies (one that comes to mind is Pleasantville, where Toby Keith’s character uses the song to wake-up the kids to the power of Beat Poetry). With Brubeck on piano and Paul Desmond on sax, you truly have a jazz masterpiece on your hands w/ this record. There’s a reason every cocktail party during the late 50’s and early 60’s had this album playing at some point during the evening. The Morello Drum solo during Take Five is absolutely amazing and well worth the enjoyment of an ice cold martini through. This album has the distinct ability to make people feel special just to listen to it. It’s unlike any jazz record I own. It’s its own mathematically melodic animal that simply must be let out of its cage on cocktail nights.

Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan – Two of a Mind – Mr. Booze is on a jazz roll here so please bear with me. So many times when I have a gathering and am pouring into my jazz albums towards the shank of the night, I’m asked by slurring guests, “What are youuu playinnng?..I love it.” For that reason, I’ve decided to drop another jazzy party bomb on you. C’mon, it can’t all be vocal standards; we gotta mix it up for our swanky night of ice, shakers and tall bottles. I mentioned Desmond above on Time Out and here he is again teaming with baritone sax player Mulligan on a record of cooler-than-hell standards interpretation. For some audio reason, I associate this record with the Beatnik generation. For no reason other than this is the type of New York, early 60’s jazz that I always imagined accompanied black coffee and Beat fiction. On the Road by Kerouac, a cold stout or porter, this album and a little bar time and you’ll be in a drinker’s heaven. Just as good, a small social gathering, some strong, bourbon based cocktails, this record and dim lights and you and your guests will have it made in the shade. Beautiful interpretations of Stardust, The Way You Look Tonight, and All the Things You Are plus more must be enjoyed.

Peggy Lee – Trav’lin Light – A ways before she became that smoky-voiced, platinum blonde, Lady in the Tramp-singing “acquired taste,” Peggy Lee was a damn good band singer. She recorded the songs on this record more as a lark than for commercial release. I don’t know why ‘cause they’re absolutely wonderful. Soft, feminine, sexy and optimistic, this collection will really add bubbles to an evening gathered ‘round the basement bar. They’re all pretty much love songs so you won’t hit that sudden downer ballad that can crash a party quicker than running out of ice. Songs like Goody Goody, Aren’t You Glad You’re You, Trav’lin Light, Fine and Dandy, and Imagination are just a few of the ditties that Miss Lee brings to the party. Yet another album that will have your guests smiling and laughing yet not sure why. Perfect for a party.

Anita O’Day Swings Cole Porter With Billy May – Holy hammana! – Mr. Booze did not see this record coming, and it ran over him like a beer truck. It’s that spectacular. Here’s this little brunette, swinging on a swing on the record cover, white gloves dating the album to the late 50’s, and she positively belts ‘em out. Honestly, this is an absolute 100-proof collection of Cole Porter’ standards sung in such an upbeat jazz tempo, it’ll make you feel as if you’ve jumped a time machine and are sitting in the Tropicana Nightclub sipping a daiquiri and calling over the cigarette girl for a pack of Luckys. It’s a magical, boozy album that Mr. Booze plays more than he doesn’t. Just One of Those Things, Love For Sale, It’s Delovely. I Get a Kick Out of You, the album’s just choc-a-block full of finger-snappin’ vocals singing to be accompanied by the sound of a chrome shaker. Perfect for a Saturday, say, ten o’clock.

Hoagy Carmichael – Hoagy Sings Carmichael – A bit of an acquired taste, I first was introduced to pianist/singer, Hoagy Carmichael in an old Kirk Douglas/Doris Day movie. Hoagy played the saloon piano player who was quick to spark a butt and even quicker doling out advice to a very messed up Kirk Douglas. Most of Carmichael’s scenes involved him just singing some old, great songs while playing a pretty great jazz piano. It took me about a second to do the math, singer + piano + jazz band + unique voice = great cocktail music. This record happens to be one of his best and is absolutely perfect for a night of boozing and cards, or boozing and the boys, or boozing and a few neighbors and friends. He has a hell of a backing band on this record. A few of the tunes you’ll be drinking to are Skylark, Georgia On My Mind, Winter Moon, and Two Sleepy People. You’ll feel like your drinking to a guy who’s been around the block a few times.

Fran Warren – Hey There! Here’s Fran Warren – So you want to have a cocktail get-together with a real retro feel to it. You’ve found the perfect sport-coat and skinny tie, you decked your party area with throw pillows, and all the cool little touches, you just need the perfect kick-off tunes to let your guests know they’ve strolled in to a real late 1950’s throwback. Fran’s your gal. One of the last of the Big-Band singers, Fran made the jump from belting over a thirty piece orchestra to singing on Broadway and jazz joints with grace and loads of style. What a voice! Mr. Booze can mix a pitcher of Manhattans and listen to this one, no problemo. She really goes well with stiff drinks. Her voice is pretty unique; I can’t really compare her to anyone else. Lilting, soft, sexy and confident, Fran Warren will impress the hell out of you. Her versions of Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, Imagination, You Don’t Know What Love Is and Imagination are tailor-made for the tail part of the night, a candle lit somewhere on the bar, and a sad-eyed “companion”. Booze-soaked romantic music never sounded so good.

Mambo Cha-Cha – Pure, early 1960’s kooky F-U-N, this collection of “safe” Mambo music will have your guests giggling and maybe a few of the more tipsy ones cha-cha-cha-ing around your bar. I’ve heard more than a few of the selections offered here as background music on the AMC Retro Series, Mad Men. Julie London singing a Mambo Fly Me To The Moon takes off like a rum and pineapple fueled rocket. The Choo-Choo Cha-Cha is hilarious in a good way. In fact, a lot of the songs on this collection have the words “cha-cha” incorporated into their titles. Sway by Dean Martin kicks it all off and the record just never lets up with that retro vibe. Perfect CD to have tucked somewhere in your bar.

Jimmie Rodgers – The Best of Jimmie Rodgers – He’s known as a folk singer but Mr. Booze thinks that there’s a lot more there with Jimmie Rodgers. Another in my long list of great albums to drink to, this greatest hits collection works on a few different levels. Jimmie had a damn fine voice and while folk, these songs work much better with a whiskey sour than they do with a political protest.
Goofy, sentimental, toe-tappin’ arrangements make most of the chestnuts on this record more than suitable for a fun-filled night of cocktailing. Honeycomb, Kisses Sweeter Than Wine, Oh-Oh, I’m Falling In Love Again, and The Long Hot Summer will all take you back to simpler times. The music pops and is guaranteed to add to a late afternoon or evening’s relaxed atmosphere.

Michael Buble’– Michael Buble’ and It’s Time – I’ve thrown two Michael Buble’ albums up together ‘cause when I play one, I usually go right on and play the other. This kid knows how to swing, ain’t no two ways around it. As a huge fan of the old stuff, I’m man enough to admit that this singer can absolutely hold his own with the best of them. Jumping from Sinatra to Jack Jones to John Hartman to Dean Martin to Buble’ presents no problem whatsoever. My younger, more hep guests know this guy and my older, stick-in-the-mud guests appreciate the hell out of him, too.
I’m impressed as hell with this kid and can’t say enough about him. His voice positively lends itself to a night of bar-gathering. Of the two, It’s Time has the more old-school, classic approach; songs like A Foggy Day in London Town, The More I Ssee You, Save The Last Dance For Me, all prove that the kid can handle a standard. But, then he pops you with Home and Song For You and you realize maybe there is hope for the “Lounge Genre” after all. Buy ‘em, pour yourself a drink, hit play and get taken away for an hour or two.

Chet Baker, The Best of Chet Baker Sings – A must-have record if there ever was one. I’ve never been certain if Chet Baker singing was more of an accident than intentional. Chet Baker was a jazz trumpeter; one of the best, a master of the West Coast jazz sound with his horn. Yet, here he is…singing! However this happened, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that he sang because it’s absolutely amazing. Chet sang like he played his horn, softly, with grace and charm, and with amazing phrasing. This is truly a jazz vocal album you’ll want on as you mix drinks and pour the nuts. This was one of Mr. Booze’s first albums, and it is still an album he comes back to again and again. Chet Baker’s alto voice simply wisps its way through these standards. Sophisticated and subtle, a perfect cocktail album for a rainy night, here are a few of the songs — But Not For Me, Lets Get Lost, I’ve Never Been In Love Before, and I Get Along Without You Very Well.

Chet Baker – The Italian Sessions – Here’s the flipside of the Chet Baker coin, the heads. One of the finest jazz trumpet albums I’ve ever heard. This recording is perfect for drinks between two or a few. The music is almost too amazing to be limited to the background of a cocktail party, although it works well in that role too.

You will hear, through this recording, the beauty and pathos Chet Baker expressed through his trumpet. At times sad, at times uplifting, this is a record which, when combined with a well made drink, will lead to people speaking softly and pausing to listen between points being made. Available for download, if you want some melodic, quiet, recognizable jazz for your evening, this is the one. Songs include — These Foolish Things, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and Well You Needn’t.

The Ultra-Lounge Collection by Capitol Records. – I love these collections. The folks at Capitol Records obviously had some time on their hands when they started this boozy collection because they must have looked everywhere. The CD’s even come with a classic cocktail recipe in the liner notes. No need for the listener to buy individual albums to shake off a chestnut-song or two, these CD’s gather the truly great Lounge music of the past and collect it by theme. They really help set the stage for drinking. You can’t loose with one or all twenty-one disks. I play them almost every time I entertain. Here are a few you can’t go wrong with. Browse the colletion here.

Wild, Cool and Swingin’ – This one was the 1st U-Lounge record I bought and I still play the hell out of it. Just tons of fun. This is the disk to play 20 minutes into a get-together, after folks have had a belt and are ready to really unwind. This one has ‘em all and they really are at the top of their game in terms of finger-snappin’ swing. Dean Martin singing Ain’t That a Kick in the Head, Bobby Darin’s More (one of my top 5 fave. Lounge songs), L.O.V.E. sung by Nat King Cole practically shakes the shaker by itself, and Julie London whispering You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To all add up to some fantastic cocktail sipping listening.

The Crime Scene – Is so fabulously what it sounds like, a very drinkable collection of Crime Show and Movie Theme Songs. This one is fun pure and simple. 60’s television staples, like the themes from I Spy, Mission Impossible and Peter Gunn combine with the Murder and Spy Thriller themes of James Bond, Man With The Golden Arm and The Silencers to be just the ticket for a rainy, fun evening gathered ‘round the basement bar. Engaging background music that should spark conversation and smiles. Very exciting and goes quite well with ice-cold martinis.

Mambo Fever – Mr. Booze plays this one to set the drinking vibe on warm evening get-togethers. These songs are really quite unique and you’d have a hell of a lot of trouble gathering a musical feel anywhere close to this one. The songs are all semi obscure but that shouldn’t be cause for alarm. This is a collection of wonderful background music, to compliment the cold drinks and spirited conversation. At times, this album borders on the campy, but that’s a good thing. When you enjoy a balmy evening of friends and drinks, surrounded by vintage barware and glasses, this is the album that will subtly remind your guests that they’ve slipped back in time this evening. Their in a safe place where Mambo versions of Hernando’s Hideaway, I can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me and Hooray For Hollywood even exist. A few serious Exotica Mambo efforts also make this a CD, which can pack a punch. This one’s fun, pure and simple.

Bossa Novaville – Another must own in the Ultra-Lounge series. I tell ya, this is the perfect disk to throw on when the gang follows you home from work. While you fill the ice-bucket and find an ashtray, the music on this record will make sure the party is safe without you for a few seconds. 60’s instrumental versions of Witchcraft, The Girl From Ipanema, and The Look of Love are unmatched in terms of pure 1960’s sparkle. Drinkers will feel like they’ve stepped back in time. This Rio inspired collection walks hand in hand with a deep winter night. The song Corcovado (Quiet Nights) combined with a properly mixed Gimlet will cause the participant to completely forget that it’s ten degrees outside. This is a great CD to own and use.

TV Town – Yet another member of this lounge collection that you just have to throw on in the background. This one’s fun when you’re having a few other couples over for Bridge and drinks, the guys over for poker, or just a few friends over for Chile and Dark Beers. This album can, at times, shut down conversation…but in a good and fun way. Your guests, especially after a few, will be musically forced to discuss or verbally remember how old they were, how this one reminds them of their parents, or how freakin’ good the show was when they here the stylized, cocktail inspired reworking of the themes from The Odd Couple, Mannix, Bewitched, Dick Van Dyke, The Mod Squad and more. This is not a collection of songs ripped directly from actual shows, it’s a orchestrated collection of music reworked by composers of the past for radio and nightclub play. The songs swing…yet remind. A must own.

Bachelor Pad Royale – Sexy and silly, this CD is absolute boozy, thrilling, titillating, background music for a party. This is the one you throw on when your planning on being busy at the bar for 40 minutes and simply need some old-school sipping music on. Combine some soft blue light bulbs and 2 fifths of gin and you really have something with this record. It has the Theme from the king of all 60’s Spy movies, James Coburn’s Our Man Flint (trust me, you’ll be hitting the replay button a lot). Playboy’s Theme, Harlem Nocturne, Theme from Route 66, A Shot In The Dark, and more, all add up to make this one you should actively seek out. These are the cool songs you just can’t find anymore, yet so need in terms of pure vibe. They’ll truly help mix the evening.

On The Rocks – This collection wins for most strange. This is an Ultra-Lounge collection of Classic Rock songs done by lounge singers, crooners and band-leaders back in the 60’s. Imagine a tuxedo sporting, finger-snappin’ love-song vocalist quietly panicking when he/she first heard Jim Morrison and The Doors firing outbreak On Through, Peggy Lee hyperventilating after being bombarded at her niece’s party with a screaming Beatles diddy, Mel Torme steadying his nerves with a bourbon shot after hearing The Stones, As Tears Go By on the radio in his air-conditioned Caddie, you get the picture…they probably freaked then came out swinging with their own versions of this teen-age music.
A backyard barbeque, bourbon and gingers and Mel Torme singin’ Sunshine Superman, what more could you ask for? Peggy Lee’s A Hard Day’s Night, The Letterman getting down with Hello, I Love You, Henry Jerome jiving out to Stevie Wonder’s Uptight (Everything Is Alright). This is some wacky stuff here folks. Can be a lotta fun with some proper cocktails. Hint hint. There’s even a Volume Two if you can’t get enough.

Mondo Hollywood – I’ll leave the Ultra-Lounge collection with this one. Talking movies and drinking, the two often walk hand in hand. Back in the 50’s and 60’s, studios were just as concerned about a film’s score as they were about plot and star. We’ve deffinately lost something with today’s movies. Sure, we all know the music from Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Halloween, but can you sit down with your wife or husband and loose yourself while looking into each other’s eyes while they softly play in the background? Nope.
Billy May’s Girl Talk, Martin Denny’s Cool, Mancini’s Moon River were all grown-up songs for adult, sophisticated movie-goers. The Themes from The Apartment, The Pink Panther and The Days of Wine and Roses are all represented. This is an album of rich, smoky music ideal for good drinks and close friends. Perfect for the home bar.

Calypso Is Like So… – Robert Mitchum. Yup, that’s what I wrote…Robert Mitchum, the same one who stars in all those killer Film Noir films. He actually recorded a Calypso record back in 1957. This record works well on so many levels here are a few – The songs are f-u-n, fun. Mitchum even tries to sing with a Trinidadian accent. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep, From a Logical Point of View, Mama Looks Boo Boo, and the wonderfully boozy Coconut Water, will leave you scratching your head, laughing and enjoying the evening thoroughly. This album was made for Tiki Drinks, meat on the grill and silly shirts. A must own for your retro bar.

June’s Got Rhythm – June Christy is truly one of the great overlooked Female Singers of the 50’s and 60’s. Her voice is an instrument. She is the Grace Kelly of Female Singers, a sadly forgotten beam of light. You must, must have at least one of her records for your bar. She’s a bit of an acquired taste but it will only take a martini. This is the album to put on when you want to have a deep, intoxicating conversation with your girl or boyfriend over drinks. This is the record you listen to while having that drink with another couple before you step out into the night. It’s soft, sexy, American vocal-jazz at it’s best. She sings better then Julie London, Fran Warren, and Doris Day. Christy took enormous chances with her choice in songs and the way she sang ‘em and you’ll love her for it.

This is a go-to album for right after it gets dark in the Summer time. You’ll recognize a lot of the American Songbook in this CD. Songs like The Gypsy In My Soul, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Baubles Bangles and Beads and Blue Moon will make you feel snug and familiar while sipping your drink, However, it’s the I’m Glad There Is You, When The Lights Are Low and Aren’t You Glad Your You? Songs and a few more like them that will surprise and amaze you. A beautiful record to have a drink with.

Gone For The Day and Fair And Warmer June Christy – The misty Ms. Christy earns another mention. What can I say…I love this singer and she goes so well with a night of cocktails and canapé’s. This is a double-album so you do get a lot of bang for your buck.
June Christy is unlike any singer I go back to because she’s so much more of a jazz instrument than a person with a pretty voice. Special’s too weak a word when describing her. ‘Unique’, ‘Complex’, ‘Effervescent’, are more the words I’d choose. This record is another ideal one for your cocktail party. Just throw it on midway through and go back to hosting. The music will take care of itself. It’s light fun and up tempo. The songs you know, like Imagination, Give Me The Simple Life and I’ve Never Been In Love Before are surrounded by standards you and your guests may not have yet heard, songs like No More, It’s Always You and Lost In A Summer Night. Regardless of weather you’ve heard all the songs before, you will before too long because this is a record you’ll come back to.
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Rain Forest – Walter Wanderly. What a strange and cool record this one is. As a young lad, Mr. Booze used to sit at the top of his parent’s steps during their cocktail parties and hear this record along with snippets of party conversation. For me, this record was made for people to laugh, talk and drink with. Rain Forest is pure, 60’s cool organ music that runs thick and hip with Brazilian Bossa Nova. It’s music dominates during a party or get together yet still leaves plenty of room for the sound of ice clinking in a glass, the doorbell, the shriek of a boozy broad or the shout-out for another drink. You’ll feel absolutely wonderful listening to this record, I promise. A few musical standards ; The Girl From Ipanema and Call Me, are surrounded by melodic mysteries like Summer Samba, Song of the Jet and Rain. Non-experimental, you won’t be at a loss when these songs start up. They’ll fit right in like the old, classic drinks your pouring.

Mel Torme Songs Of New York – One of the only famous crooners who I didn’t take to at first. It took some time and a few years of appreciation for this complex singer to grow on my. Songs of New York is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of NYC inspired songs complex enough to stand up to a serious night of drinking and eating. The perfect drink with this disk, a Manhattan of course. Sunday in New York, My Time of Day, Autumn in New York, Torme tackles them all. You’ll want to hop a train, hit the club car and order up a cold cocktail while taking in the skyscrapers. A great cocktail album.

Swingin’ On The Moon, Mel Torme – Yet another 60’s Torme’ theme album and another that positively works. Mel uses songs celebrating The Moon with this record. Moonlight Cocktails, No Moon At All, How High The Moon, Moonlight In Vermont, all combine for a sophisticated, clever vibe at a get together. This is definitely a martini album. A soft record that holds its own through a noisy, boozy party, I like this record very much and so will you. Wild that this is the second album here with a space-girl on the cover. There’ll be more.

The Movie Song Album – Tony Bennett – Not a bad record to pour a drink alone to. As you may have gathered, I’m a sucker for a well written movie song, especially if I liked the film. There’s a ton of great Bennett albums out there and this is one of the tops. His version of Girl Talk from Harlow is the best version of this song ever recorded. Sure it’s a bit sexist but that’s o-k, it’s a different world and sometimes it’s nice to take a look back. The Shadow Of Your Smile from The Sandpiper is my absolute favorite Tony Bennett recording, absolutely haunting. Emily, from The Americanization of Emily, is an equally beautiful ballad. I could go on but won’t. This is a beautiful record, my favorite by the Singer. Mr. Booze isn’t a big proponent of drinking alone, it’s rarely a good idea. However, if your in a introspective mood and will be meeting folks later for fun, a whisky rocks and The Movie Song Album work very well together.

Behind the Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart – Mr. Booze can slip a classic 1960’s Comedy Album into the pot if he wants to, as long as it goes well with strong drinks, why not? I won’t take long with this one. Make a stiff, early 60’s drink like an Old-Fashioned or a Gibson, leave your jaded sarcastic modern mind in the closet, invite some pals over for poker and play this album when you break for sandwiches and more drinks.
Funny and a hilarious Time-Machine.

Time For Love, The Best of Julie London – Not Mr. Booze’ favorite female singer but I gotta say, when Julie London hits it, she hits it. You don’t need to track down all her vinyl or available CD’s or downloads, this Best-Of cd more than does the job. This a great disk to play at the shank of the night, the last call before you put the cat out and point the stragglers towards the door. Not an up tempo song in the bunch but boy, are they perfect for a nightcap. She’s a very sexy and smoky singer. The Type of voice you’ll feel like taking care of. Songs like No Moon At All, ‘Round Midnight, The Thrill Is Gone and A Cottage For Sale are all wonderful periods at the end of the night’s sentence. A “Last Call” record.

The Wham of Sam – Sammy Davis Jr. This man is not a sidekick. If you think of Sammy Davis Jr. as the dancing leg of the Rat Pack, then you owe it to yourself to start exploring his library. He was a fabulous Jazz Singer and his music goes extremely well with subdued light, smoky rooms, light canapés and cold cocktails. This entire album is worth playing from beginning to end, not a stale song in the bunch. Sammy’s 1st song on the record, A Lot Of Living To Do, will absolutely get your party started and set the entire mood for the evening. He swings and struts his way though and you can’t help but be in a great mood halfway in. Begin The Beguine and My Romance will let you catch your breath and concentrate, once again on the drinks but hurry because a few minutes later he launched in to Too Close For Comfort and your guests will be ready for another. This is an elegant, exciting album for grown-ups enjoying themselves.

Pretty Baby / This Time I’m Swingin’ Dean Martin. – Gosh, where to start with Dean? I guess with this record. It’s a double album so you get a lot of bang for your buck. Deano never sounded more suave or in the know as he does with this CD. It’s a great cocktail party ice-breaker. The album to put on when the guests are dropping their coats off on the bed, the shaker’s just finishing off the first batch and the doorbell’s still chiming. Dean Martin music was absolutely recorded to enjoy while drinking, no two ways about it. You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You, Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone. I Don’t Know Why, Pretty Baby are all standards. But I tell ya, when Dean Martin’s singing them, it’s like hearing ‘em all over again for the 1st time. Drink, be merry and listen to this Dean Martin cd.

Dean Martin Live At The Sands Hotel (An Evening of Music, Laughter and Hard Liquor) – Pretty much exactly what you think it is, this record is made to drink lots to.
Recorded in 1964 with a piano and small orchestra, this sounds a lot like it was recorded at one of the famous and long gone Hotel Lounges. It sounds like a fairly small room.
Dean is on fire with this one. Cracking jokes, changing the words of standard songs suggesting naughty behavior, this album is like a recorded 60’s stag party. Great for a poker game, boy’s night or impromptu evening with close friends, this is a booze-soaked
Salute to days gone by. Songs include That’s Amore, On A Slow Boat To China, Memories Are Made Of This and You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby. The words slurred, fumbled and dirtied up on all of them. Hilarious.

Gene Krupa Drum Boogie, Best of the Big Bands – Here’s THE Drummer. If you don’t know about the Big Band Legend, it’s time you learned. Gene Krupa played the drums like he was born to do nothing else. This is another cocktail party album, perfect for a night of drinking and enjoying.
What I adore about this record is that it’s not just a Drum album. The record explodes with standard Big-Band music only with a strong skin vibe. Different, nostalgic, captivating, and fresh, if you like brassy, thumping jazz this is for you. Build some more 40’s and 50’s sounds around it and you’ll really have an evening. Drum Boogie, Sweet Georgia Brown, No Name Jive all blast heavy with a serious, serious drumming emphasis. Fun and then some.

From Another World – This record is so cool, so 50’s, so far-out, that after your guests finish listening to it they’ll want another go along with another round. Outer Space, Sputnik, Atom splitting, these were the things on the minds of yesterday’s drinker.
Conductor Sid Bass realized this and built an entire album of popular standards with odd, space-aged sounds and instruments. Don’t get me wrong, the music actually flows very well. Imagine standards like Old Devil Moon, How High The Moon. Star Dust and My Blue Heaven being played by a band out of the old cartoon The Jetsons and there you have it. Campy, cool fun for your next gathering.

Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 – Mr. Booze is by no means making a push for this word to come back. It served its purpose back in the 1960’s and died. Yet, here I go ‘cause it’s the one word which truly describes this amazing recording …Groovy. This cd is groovy. If you’ve seen the 1st Austin Power’s movie, then you’ve heard the kick-off song in this album. In the montage scene where Austin and Vanessa stroll through Vegas while casino names and bright lights fly by, Mas Que Nada sets the tone in the background. With a heavy Latin beat thumping though most of the songs and a driving piano base, the harmonies of the singers combine to create a thrilling, long gone sound. Yet another album that shines during a cocktail party or decent size gathering. It’ll be difficult to not shake the chrome shaker in rhythm with the music on this disk.

Astrud Gilberto’s Finest Hour – Here’s another exotic entry into the cocktail music scene. One I feel more than serves it’s purpose. Astrud Gilberto is best known for being the soft sounding, sexy singer on Stan Getz’ version of The Girl From Ipanema. She does pique one’s interest in the singing of that song. On this record she proves that she can seduce with a song over and over again. Apparently, an undiscovered singing housewife, she rose to fame with the Getz’ song (which is on this disk) and launched into a successful 1960’s career. I’ll warn you, this record is extremely soft. You won’t be finger-snapping or mamboing to this one. This is a CD to listen to with a few close friends and a night of cocktails. This is a personal album with that retro grove that so goes with the flavors of the evening.

Bobby Darin: Love Swings – Now here’s an up-tempo, cool as winter record that will have you and your guests absolutely ready to pour down some classic cocktails. Darin was just such a damned good singer in every sense of the word. You can hear the times in his voice, a post-war, ring-a-ding optimism. He drives most of the songs on this record well over the speed limit and I guarantee that this is the album to get the night started and your guests ready for a good time. He was the classic crooner. Long Ago And Far Away done with just such a bang, I Didn’t Know What Time It Was, Just Friends, How About You and more done in a jazzy, 60’s style that calls for old martini glasses and lots of fun.

The Swinging Side of Bobby Darin – How come no one swings anymore? Half of Mr. Booze’ records have the word swing or swingin’ in them. What was it about the 60’s and swinging? I don’t know but I do know it’s a blast and an absolute necessity to have a few of these records near your home bar. This effort by Bobby Darin really ..ummm…swings.
What else can I say about this walking, talking firecracker? You simply must own some of his music. This one’s pure Saturday night. I Got Rhythm, I’m Beginning To See The Light, Just In Time, Make Someone Happy, Hello Young Lovers, I could go on. Sport-Jacket, skinny-Tie, Cuff-Links optional with this album.

Blues In The Night Johnny Mercer – The night my Daughter was born, I poured a drink and listened to this album as sort of a mini celebration, the calm before the storm of not enough sleep and diapers and boys in 15 years. This is a great whiskey record, a great autumn album. It has that 40’s feel that goes very well with beer, both regular and ginger, rye and peanuts. Mercer, while just one of the most accomplished songwriters that ever lived, also had a damn nice voice. A sleepy Southern drawl wrapped around some of the most wonderful tunes in the American Songbook will assure you that you made a good choice in picking up this one. Here are just a few of the gems on this disk –
Candy (accompanied by Jo Stafford), One For My Baby, Blues In The Night, Candy, Java Jive and Accentuate The Positive. A bunch of optimistic, great sounding songs you should have by the bar.

Come Swing With Me Frank Sinatra – As an appreciator of Classic Cocktails as I know you are, I almost didn’t want to bring him up. He’s almost too obvious of a choice. I know that you already have some of Sinatra’s recordings at home. I know you play ‘em while you have a drink. Having said that, Mr. Booze also knows that he’s gotta mention him. Frank Sinatra is to drinking and sitting at a bar what Babe Ruth is to Baseball. The two were made for each other. I feel foolish recommending Sinatra and any one disk. They all can be enjoyed while bending an elbow … some, more than others. This is a great one. It really swings. Day By Day, Almost Like Being In Love, That Old Black Magic, I’ve Heard That Song Before…what can I say? great drinking music. This is the great stuff to have on hand when friends come a calling for a night of cheer and booze.

Come Fly With Me Frank Sinatra – “If you can use some exotic booze, there’s a bar in far Pompeii.” Kinda sums it up in a nutshell. This is a Sinatra abum you gotta own. He’s at the top of his game with this one. Climb up the rickety Pan Am metal staircase, take your seat, pour a drink and fly away with Frank. Be sure to bring some friends because this trip is a ball. An album worth a second go ‘round at a party or boozy gathering, each song an ode to travel. On The Road To Mandalay, Brazil, Come Fly With Me and Let’s Get Away From It All will have your guests chirping on about where they’ve been and the drinks they had while there. A perfect record for your bar is this.

Cycles Frank Sinatra – After a drink or two, while I’m listening to this record, I imagine that Frank must have recorded this around the time of his troubled marriage with Mia. It just has this certain feel about it that no other Sinatra album has. It’s as if this guy in his 40’s was attempting to prove himself youthfully introspective, almost hippy like to his decades younger wife. He succeeds on a weird level. His maturity and life experience carry through the music. He may have been wearing turtlenecks and sporting Love-Beads while he sang these songs, but underneath, he was still Sinatra. This may very well be another record where it’s alright to have a drink alone while your listening to it or enjoy with Harvey Wallbangers and a bunch of comrades, your choice. From Both Sides Now, Little Green Apples, Buy The Time I Get To Phoenix all well sung 60’s pop classics with a cool Sinatra twist. Cycles is the song that’ll get to you if you’re of a certain age and have had a few. A bold choice in records to play while having a few, but one you’ll enjoy.

Swingin’ Soft Drink Spots of the 60’s – This is not an album of music but Mr. Booze has to bring it to your attention. I’ll be quick. When I’m having a night of classic cocktails or Tiki Drinks and there’s a definite 60’s feel to the music, food and drinks. The retro barware is sparkling and vibe is Kennedy era, throw this one on as a mix with 4 or 5 60’s era cd’s. It’s nothing more than a cool little accent when your disk player’s on random select. To hear Petula Clark and Nat King Cole singing Coke-Cola jingles between songs during a vintage little get together you’re throwing, adds tremendously. One of those cool little things that will make your home bar a little more wild.

Jack Jones Sings Michel LeGrand – LeGrand was a huge composer back in the day with hits in movies like McQueen’s The Thomas Crown Affair. Jack Jones has one of the best voices of any singer I’ve listened to. I recently saw Jack Jones live and was just blown away by a few of these songs. They are reflective in the way a drink, at the proper time will sometimes cause an inward look. This is an album to share with a person your close with. Pour a couple of Vesper Martinis and you two sit down with this one and a fireplace. The Windmills of Your Mind, What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life? and One At A Time must be heard…beautiful.

Nat King Cole Sings For Two In Love (And More) – How good do you want it with your autumn cocktail? Nat King Cole and a heavy strings orchestra being conducted by the legendary Nelson Riddle makes this CD a must have for your bar. I mentioned autumn earlier because this record contains, which should only be listened to between September and January. It’s a song that should be savored like summer strawberries. Dinner For One, Let’s Fall In Love and Love Is Here To Stay make this album required listening with a Ginger Sanagree, or a Brandy Alexander and a nice fire but then you have a heavy brass, swinging version of Almost Like Being In Love and you know you really have something with this record. Great for any social gathering, this album’s a winner.

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs Marty Robbins – This is one of my favorite drinking albums. Marty Robbins was a damned Cowboy when he sang these songs.
From the 50’s, when Westerns ruled at the box office and on TV, this collection is a real celebration of your Dad and his Dad’s generations. I can imagine, back in 1950’s suburbia, neighborhood Joes gathered in an unfinished basement, drinking Tom Collins, cans of cold beer, playing cards and listening to this record. El Paso is the Song of Songs on this album; the dying lament of a gut-shot Cowboy, fatally in love. Cool Water, A Hundred and Sixty Acres, Billy The Kid all add up for a fun, retro listening experience.
This is a 1950’s Country and Western record that still can really entertain.

John Coltrane And Johnny Hartman – I’m at a loss as to why more folks haven’t heard of Jazz Singer, Johnny Hartman. He had a beautifully rich, deep, cigarette stained voice that owned every song he touched. He sand like he had all the time in the world and when he teamed up with tenor sax legend John Coltrane and pianist McCoy Tyner you get one of the best vocal jazz albums ever recorded. You can’t be in a rush or have places to go while listening, mix a glass pitcher of sweet Manhattans, invite a friend or two over, smoke ‘em if you got ‘em and relax. I have yet to devote space to the serious Jazz albums recorded back when, and their special place by your lounge, but I intend to. This record belongs near the top of that project. Lush Life, Autumn Serenade, They Say It’s Wonderful are three of the six songs found on this glorious record. I highly recommend this one.

Ella Swings Brightly With Nelson – You need at the very least, one Ella Fitzgerald album to play while your mixing drinks. She was a master of the American Songbook, one of the best, with a voice like no one else. She teams with Sinatra’s great Conductor, Nelson Riddle on this one. This is a classic sound with popular music royalty teaming up for an album sung by a woman but with the strong-lined edge of Riddle’s arranging.
I Won’t Dance, Mean To Me, The Gentlemen Is A Dope (A sort of direct response to Sinatra’s The Lady Is A Tramp), Alone Together have that Sinatra feel to them but become so unique when sung by Ella. These are drinking music recommendations and this absolutely works when entertaining or just enjoying a drink yourself.

Foursider Herb Albert And The Tijuana Brass – I have all of Herb Albert’s records and love ‘em. He’s a big part of the 60’s in my mind and while too young to drink back then, my Dad sure did and with his friends by his side, listened to a hell of a lot of Tijuana Brass records. So, I guess you could say I have a strong association with this music. There just always seemed to be a party going on as I remember this music. Herb’s versions of What Now My Love, Casino Royale, Sunny and especially Without Her, I strongly associate with beers being opened with a church-key, big sunglasses, cigarettes and backyard barbeques. This album still works. With a from scratch Margarita, You’ll have some happy folks on your hands. You just gotta have some Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass in your house. With 21 songs on the disk, most of them familiar, this is the one to start with. I have it on CD so it’s out there. Currently unavailable. Vinyl if you have a record player and you should.

These Ghoulish Things – It’s an import and kind of expensive but I promise you one thing, you won’t need another CD for your Halloween Party. This record has ‘em all. Besides the prerequisite Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett, this CD contains 27 more rock ‘n roll 50’s and 60’s monster songs recorded during the heyday of the Universal and B Studio, Monster Movie Craze. Frankenstein’s Party, Drac’s Back, Coolest Little Monster, The Voo Doo Walk and more songs that you’ve never heard will have all your drinking buddies thinking “how cool is this?” Nothing more than Halloween fun…but what the hell’s wrong with that?

Christmas Cocktails V 1, 2 & 3 – I’ll be quick and to the point with these. You want to have a 85 proof Christmas party, you’ve planned the menu, the drinks to pour and what kitschy decorations to hang. All you need are party appropriate X-Mas songs to play. Throw these disks in with your regular Christmas album rotation. You’ve heard a lot of them, Deano’s Rudolph, Nat Cole’s The Christmas Song, Peggy Lee’s Winter Wonderland, but there are plenty of rum soaked selections you may not have heard.
Warm December by Julie London, Wayne Newton’s version of Jingle Bell Rock, Exotic Night by Martin Denny all add up to a cool Christmas play list. You have enough to worry about throwing a X-Mas bash, don’t let the music be one of your worries.