Robert Drasnin RIP

[Teasing the Korean]

http://variety.com/2015/music/news/robert-drasnin-dead-dies-twilight-zone-voodoo-1201497751/

http://www.dionysusrecords.com/home/exotica-tv-music-legend-robert-drasnin-passes/

[Bill Nelson]

Bob Drasnin was largely involved in the arranging on Martin Denny's 1964 album 'Latin Village' (along with Bob Florence).

Drasnin's talents make this Denny album a very tasty combination of exotica, jazz, and Latin rhythms -- one of Denny's best.

[Larry Kart]

I know of him best from his work with Red Norvo. Nice player, akin to Bud Shank. Circa 1944-5, Drasnin was a member of the Hollywood Canteen Kids band with Warne Marsh.

[Teasing the Korean]

If you are a fan of exotica, Drasnin's 1959 album "Voodoo" is one of the absolute best in the genre. It was recorded for a budget label that wanted a Martin Denny knock-off. It became a cult classic beginning in the 1990s with the re-emergence of exotica.

I was there when Drasnin conducted the album top to bottom, from the original scores, to a packed house in 2005. Everyone brought copies of the LP for him to sign. He must have been around 77 at the time. He seemed absolutely over the moon that all these younger tikiphiles knew this obscure album. I spoke to him at length and he was a real sweetheart of a guy.

"Voodoo" is available on CD as both "Voodoo" and "Exotic Excursion." The former contains all 12 tracks, but is mastered from (pristine) vinyl; the latter has 10 tracks but comes from the master tapes.

In 2007, Drasnin released a follow-up, "Voodoo II." He revisited the sketches for the original 1959 album and plucked some of the unused ideas for the new album.

Drasnin, along with Gerald Fried, was one of the main composers on "The Man from UNCLE" seasons two and three. Four tracks written by him are on the "More Music from The Man from UNCLE" RCA album by Hugo Montenegro.

RIP.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Teasing the Korean

[sgcim]

Very sad to hear. he played flute on a lot of those Red Norvo Quintet LPs, and had a long career as a composer for TV and movies.

RIP.