I'm looking for Livingstone. My name is Stanley.

February 12, 2008 9:58 PM

Dark Continent music: I have this archetype in my head of lounge/jazz/big band music from the 40s and 50s that drew upon stereotypes of african adventure. Exotica definitely. Please help me find some!

I want to say Dizzy Gillespie's 'Afro' but that's not right. It's close, but I am looking for more relaxing, 'down tempo' (can you use that term for old music? I think ESL copyrighted it back in '99), and pre-written I think. I feel like some old Looney Tunes cartoons were very close to the mark in terms of style. I feel like I got this urge after being in a tiki bar, so definitely some overlap in style there, of americanized perceptions of exotica. Artists/CDs/Comps, anything.

posted by Large Marge to media & arts (11 comments total)

Martin Denny, "Afro-desia". I'd lay odds that's exactly what you're thinking about.
posted by TigerCrane at 10:54 PM on February 12

Visit Xtabay's World...dig through the older posts, then check his blogroll.
posted by omnidrew at 11:04 PM on February 12

This is probably a long shot, but is it something like Duke Ellington - East St. Louis Toodle-Oo? Ellington certainly played up the dark-skinned, African, "jungle" aspect of his band at that time. The growling trumpet and use of the plunger mute is a big part of the "jungle" sound, and was also used for Looney Tunes. The band also recorded under the name "The Jungle Band" at the time. It is big band, presumably mostly written, and a lot slower than bebop, but it certainly isn't lounge and it is from around 1930.

What sort of instrumentation does the music you are looking for use? Does it have strings, organ, guitar, vocals, or prominent drums or bass? Does the music have solos or is it more groove-based?
posted by ssg at 11:09 PM on February 12

My first thought was 1920s/30s Ellington, too; his band was marketed deliberately as "jungle music" and used African themes. Check the sample from the first song, "Jungle Nights in Harlem," on this page, e.g.
posted by mediareport at 11:37 PM on February 12

Raymond Scott, an early electronic composer from the 40's, did some exotica including "Arabian" and African themes.
posted by contraption at 1:54 AM on February 13

One relevant Raymond Scott track would be "Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals." His work was also used in Looney Tunes.
posted by contraption at 1:55 AM on February 13

Charlie Parker's "Mango Mangue" has a jungly, percussive, Afro-Caribbean vibe, but may be a little too up-tempo for what you're looking for. But it's awesome, so you should check it out nevertheless.
posted by saladin at 5:00 AM on February 13

Benny Goodman's Sing, Sing, Sing has always sounded like this to me. Listen to track 20 here on the album also titled Sing, Sing, Sing. Although it's off by a decade or so. This says that it was first performed on January 16, 1938.
posted by marsha56 at 6:43 AM on February 13

Oops. Just reread your OP. Sing, Sing, Sing is definitely NOT down tempo. Sorry.
posted by marsha56 at 6:46 AM on February 13

This thread got me inspired and I checked out the aforementioned Martin Denny.
Great stuff. A real discovery for me. Thank you, TigerCrane.
Whilst looking for Martin Denny I cam across Les Baxter whos album "African Blue" also fits the bill.
posted by ollsen at 6:50 AM on February 13

Henry Mancini wrote the score for the film "Hatari!" in which John Wayne stars as a guy who traps African animals for zoos. In addition to giving us the Baby Elephant Walk, the film also has some African-styled tunes. Might not be big-band enough, but see if you can find a sampling. This album's tracks 9-10-11 are from Hatari, so have a listen.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 8:03 AM on February 13