About Martin Denny
Martin Denny was an American pianist, composer, and arranger. Known as the "father of exotica", he was a multi-instrumentalist and could play a number of percussion instruments. In a long career that saw him performing up to 3 weeks prior to his death, he toured the world popularizing his brand of lounge music which included exotic percussion, imaginative rearrangements of popular songs, and original songs that celebrated Tiki culture. During an engagement at the Shell Bar, Denny discovered what would become his trademark and the birth of "exotica". As the group played at night, Denny became aware of bullfrogs croaking. Denny did the frog part on a grooved cylinder and the whole thing became incorporated into the arrangement of "Quiet Village".
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