Raise a Mai Tai for the passing of this icon of pop culture and tiki madness . Martin Denny, the man who created exotica music in the 1950s and lived to see it enjoy renewed world-wide popularity as lounge music and tiki culture, died last night at his Hawaii-Kai residence, five weeks short of his 94th birthday. Christina Denny, his daughter and primary care-giver, said that her father passed peacefully at 9 p.m. and that he had been ready to go. With the passing of Martin Denny, the world has lost one of its great popular musicians, said Michael J. Largarticha, Musicians Association of Hawaii president. He created a sound that remains unique to this day; an entire genre of music which Martin described as a fusion of Asian, South Pacific, American Jazz, Latin American and Classical. Shari Lynn, singer, actress and dancer, as well as music teacher at Hawaii School for Girls at La Pietra, said she was fortunate to have known Denny for more than 20 years. He was consistently a gentleman, of course a star but accessible, generous, creative, inspiring Hawaiis music monarch, Lynn said. Denny and his late wife, June, attended her performances at various hotels over the years and gave her a lot of support, she said. When someone of that stature gives you thumbs up, you really feel validated.She said Denny played at La Pietra Feb. 13 at a tsunami fundraiser and at the schools annual Sunset Jazz fundraiser Nov. 21. He had been in declining health for the last two years, and had appeared to be near death several times in recent months, but he always dealt stoically with his increasingly limited diet and mobility, and all the related inconveniences. Denny drew crowds of admirers whenever he appeared and thrilled audiences wherever he performed. One of his final public performances was at Ward Warehouse, where he played a three-song mini-set with bassist Byron Yasui on Jan 21, and as a special guest at the La Pietra fund-raiser Feb. 13. Jimmy Buffett welcomed him as a special guest at a Waikiki Shell concert last year. Largarticha, a 25-year friend, said Denny was a good union (Local 677) member. Martin came to our last Christmas party and played Quiet Village, Firecracker, and his other hits and he absolutely captivated our younger members. Martin was a good person, had a good life and a long and very successful career. I will miss him very much. Although some writers over the years described his music as lightweight entertainment or even kitchy, the trademark jungle noises and bird calls usually overshadowed surprisingly substantial musical arrangements that reflected Dennys formal training as a pianist and decades of professional experience. Born on April 12, 1911, in New York City, Denny took to the piano at an early age. He made his official debut as a professional musician in 1931 and spent 4 1/2 years working in South America. Denny played big band dance music in the U.S. from the mid-30s until World War II. He continued his musical career in the U.S. Army Air Corps and then attended college on the GI Bill majoring in classical piano, composition and orchestration. Denny first performed in Waikiki as a solo pianist in 1954, but in 1955 formed a trio with John Kramer (bass) and Arthur Lyman (vibraphone). Percussionist Augie Colon became the fourth member of the group after they opened at the Shell Bar in Kaisers Hawaiian Village in 1956. It was there that the exotica sound was born. The sound of frogs croaking in a nearby pool inspired ad libbed responses by the band members. Denny got so many requests for the song with the jungle noises that he worked up more arrangements that included bird calls and other sounds, and then enhanced the fanciful tropical ambiance by using exotic percussion instruments. It wasnt long before globe-trotting fans were bringing him souvenir drums, gongs and other items to experiment with. Dennys first recording of exotica was made for Liberty Records in 1956. He re-recorded it in 1958. When Liberty released Quiet Village as a single in 1959 it reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and a new genre of music was launched. He was and still is one of the very few Hawaii recording artists to appear on any of the six major Billboard record charts. Dennys visibility as a pop chart hitmaker had waned by the end of the 60s but his music remained popular in many parts of the world until it was rediscovered by a new generation of music fans in the 90s. Much of his early catalog was re-issued on CD with Denny providing extensive additional annotation, and web sites and fanzines were devoted to him. Hawaii residents Kit Ebersbach and Lloyd Kandell created Don Tiki, a lounge music show group in his honor. Kandell said, Martin Denny not only brought beautiful, exotic and evocative music to the entire world but was an inspirational example of how to live life. He said Denny was sharp to the very end of his life. I would say he was almost a surrogate father to me and a musical mentor to my partner, Kit Ebersbach, and he was always a very supportive and generous spirit, attending every one of our live performances of Don Tiki. He also performed on stage and recorded with the group, Kandell said. He sat in on a few tracks when the Forbidden Sounds of Don Tiki came out in 1997, playing exotica and a piano solo, I will love you forever and ever that he wrote for his wife, Kandell said. We are so honored and thrilled to know such a beautiful and gracious man in our lives. The Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts (HARA) gave Denny the HARA a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. Funeral arrangements are pending, but the commemoration of his life will include a big memorial party at the Elks Club. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ E-mail City Desk © 2005 Honolulu Star-Bulletin -- http://starbulletin.com
Christ! I didn't know he was still alive. To think I could have been stalking him for the past 25 years. Thank you for everything especially the Mai-Tais! For an imitation of Polynesian chic without Martin Denny alive there is the Tonga Room in San Francisco at the Fairmont Hotel.
My wife cried at work when I told her . The world seems a little dirty & a little colder when good people leave us . . . it has been raining all fucking day .
sort of to keep this going sence its neat others on here like this kind of music also you all like LYMAN & Baxter also new band Named LUSHY is pretty great
I always think that if someone passes away at that kind of age that we should be celebrating their life rather than feeling sorry for their passing. 93 is a damn good innings and I hope to get anywhere near. He has left a lasting legacy and will not be forgotten. Right...where's my grog log, I need to mix a celebratory drink. Cheers for Martin Denny!
I agree, he left us with an outstanding catalog of timeless music, and for that I am grateful to the man. When ever I have a hard time sleeping, I listen to his music. It's about the only thing that will calm my mind down, it works 100% of the time. I've always enjoyed his music, but I really appreciate the recording technics, his songs were always so layered and had the most outstanding audio presence to them. I'm at a loss to describe, other than saying much like the jungle, they were lush and vivid. My condolences to his family, my thanks to him.
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