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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Bahia - The Arthur Lyman Group

Busy Port

Bahia
The Arthur Lyman Group
HIFI Record R815
1959

From the back cover: Bahia is more Arthur Lyman magic from the fabulous Hawaiian Islands, the fiftieth state of the U.S.A. Far out in the mid-Pacific, these lush tropical Islands breed the unusual in all things, including pop music. You will hear in this album familiar tunes with exotic arrangements as well as new, intriguing melodies that are as different as the Islands themselves.

The Arthur Lyman group includes four very special talented guys, Arthur Lyman plays vibes, marimba, guitar, ukulele, bongos and congas; Harold Chang is a percussionist without peer; John Kramer keeps the string bass rhythm, doubling on flute, and Allen Soares makes those gorgeous piano and glockenspiel sounds you will hear. All together they sound like a group of at least eight instead of four. The group plays nightly in the Shell Bar on the grounds of Henry J. Kaiser's famous Hawaiian Village Hotel in Honolulu which has been enlarged twice to accommodate the many people who want to hear the Arthur Lyman group, still being inadequate to take care of the increasing crowds.

Shortly, Arthur and his group will be starting a personal tour of principal cities, including TV appearances, which will answer his many fans' biggest question, "Just how are all those sounds made?" The group will show you, and quite a sight it is! The recording itself was done in the acoustically perfect Kaiser Aluminum Dome, also on the grounds of the Hawaiian Village Hotel, allowing a beautifully translucent sound to enhance the voices of the instruments themselves.

To capture the full frequency and dynamic range heard in this album, AKG mikes and an especially built Ampex three track stereo magnetic 1/2" tape recorder were used. Later tape to disc transfer was down on a fully automatic Neumann (German) cutting lathe, using an advanced design Teldec stereophonic cutting head capable of cutting on disc the truest stereo sound with maximum level. Your ears will quickly pick up on the difference. Pressings are pure virgin vinyl, painstakingly processed and quality controlled.

Bahia
Jungle Jalopy
Caribbean Nights
Bamboo
Return To Me
Tropical
Quiet Village
Happy Voodoo
Busy Port
Maui Chimes
Beyond The Reef
Legend Of The Rain

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