Les Baxter
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Les Baxter – Whatever Lola Wants
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Biography
Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer. At the age of 23 he joined Mel Tormé’s Mel-Tones, singing on Artie Shaw records such as “What Is This Thing Called Love?”.
Baxter then turned to arranging and conducting for Capitol Records in 1950, and conducted the orchestra of two early Nat King Cole hits, “Mona Lisa” and “Too Young”. In 1953 he scored his first movie, the sailing travelogue Tanga Tika. With his own orchestra, he released a number of hits including “Ruby” (1953), “Unchained Melody” (1955) and “The Poor People Of Paris” (1956). He also achieved success with concept albums of his own orchestral suites: Le Sacre Du Sauvage, Festival Of The Gnomes, Ports Of Pleasure, and Brazil Now, the first three for Capitol and the fourth on Gene Norman’s Crescendo label. The list of musicians on these recordings includes Plas Johnson and Clare Fischer. Baxter also wrote the “Whistle” theme from the TV show Lassie.
Baxter did not restrict his activities to recording. As he once told Soundtrack! magazine, “I never turn anything down”.
Top Tracks
Top Albums
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The Primitive and the Passionate
157 listeners12 tracks
New Release
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Les Baxter's Balladeers
31 listeners12 tracks
New Release
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Space Escapade
4,246 listeners12 tracks
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Baxter's Best
14,842 listeners12 tracks
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adja6kla4ry5ytw
jungle jazz is perfect !!
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Toshiba-3
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top20fanatico
Listen to Les Baxter is like to listen a Beautiful Dream ♥ I Love it! *--*
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chewingonfoil
♥
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Adjar-one
not that zappa- ish as on first glance
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Yair_Yona
He's god
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Adjar-one
zappa-ish
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top20fanatico
Genius [2] Elegant Music too! :]
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djgizmoe
Just got all three sets from Real Gone Jazz. Remastered my ass, but an awesome value for some really obscure albums.
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clonedhuman
Goddamnit I love Les Baxter.
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ddrwd
i love "love is Blue"
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toztizokzndz
people should check out the new african jazz/jungle jazz reissue. my favorite next to dunwich horror.
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alphege
He's good.
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JawadQ
Best composer ever! I swear on god he is the best best composer ever lived. Better than Beethoven better then Mozart! The variety of his music, the new wave soundtracks from famous Novelle Vague movies. His legacy lifes beyond!!
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SoulJazzsterInc
Genius
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javiikiller
What about "The Fabulous Sounds of Les Baxter"? The album has incredible arrangements and a very soulful sound, yes, I mean the Baxter's version of Autumn leaves, one of the most beautiful versions of that classic song.
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lemonitas67
Jungle Jalopy is one of my favorite songs by him. I love all his stuff. Ritual of the Savage is his best album by far, then Jewels of the Sea and Space Escapade, then the Dunwhich Horror.
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Gabriel_Opeth
Moog Rock is great
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borntogeek
discussing les' non-exotica stylings at http://theozhiztoryblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/les-baxter-not-just-king-of-exotica-but.html
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hydrogyrum
Fantastic!! Old-school fabulosity. Love to crank it- perfect lounge or task-doing music.
All 62 shouts
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