To modern ears, Enoch Light is known as one of the forbears of the art deco "space-age bachelor pad" scene of the late '50s and early '60s. This is due to Light's technical collaborations with Terry Snyder's Command All-Stars. Although once a big-band leader and musical arranger in the 1930s and 1940s, Light started Command Records, one of the first audiophile-oriented labels. His primary innovations involved extreme stereo mixing as well as recording onto 35 millimeter film, as opposed to the traditional magnetic-based ...
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To modern ears, Enoch Light is known as one of the forbears of the art deco "space-age bachelor pad" scene of the late '50s and early '60s. This is due to Light's technical collaborations with Terry Snyder's Command All-Stars. Although once a big-band leader and musical arranger in the 1930s and 1940s, Light started Command Records, one of the first audiophile-oriented labels. His primary innovations involved extreme stereo mixing as well as recording onto 35 millimeter film, as opposed to the traditional magnetic-based tape. The results allowed for greater fidelity as well as a more permanent and stable method of archiving. Persuasive Percussion (1959) is the long-player that started off the multi-volume releases, which also boasted the companion series Provocative Percussion. Each of the LPs included a dozen interpretations of popular music standards with highly stylized arrangements centering on full-bodied organ solos as well as significant augmentation from bongos, maracas, and a variety of additional hand-percussion instruments. The melodies were often given light and easy listening interpretations featuring Dick Hyman (keyboards) and Tony Motolla (guitar). This 1995 title was issued with six bonus sides from Persuasive Percussion, Vol. 2 (1960). For retro fans, the kitschy swirl of "I'm in the Mood for Love" and the dark and edgy "Miserlou" rank among the platter's best. ~ Lindsay Planer, Rovi
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