Lyman's debut album, recorded shortly after he left Martin Denny's group, was almost as popular as the concurrent releases by his former mentor, reaching the Top Ten. Purists may hang me for this, but I honestly don't detect much difference between Lyman's late '50s releases and Denny's. Meaning, if you like one, you'll most likely want the other, and if you're not all that excited about exotica to begin with, one
Denny compilation should be all you need. If there are any subtle differences between the pair,
Lyman may have a slightly sedate, jazzier sound, though he too uses a wide variety of ethnic instruments, percussions, and bird calls. The CD reissue adds four tracks from the Bwana A album. ~ Richie Unterberger