With the international success of BLUE: THE COCKTAIL PIANO HOUR (VOLUME 1), jazz and classical virtuoso pianist James Spencer presents: EXOTICA: THE COCKTAIL PIANO HOUR (VOLUME 2); the first solo piano album ever, in the easy listening genre of Exotica Lounge. Exotica was a popular sub genre of Easy-Listening Lounge music having its heyday in the mid 1950s. Developing out of exotic Romantic era and Impressionist selections and mingled with jazzy sensual sonorities and Latin rhythms, Exotica became a favorite genre of sophisticated, and educated suburbanites, looking for escape after WWII. Exotica became the favorite music of Tiki culture and resort areas like Honolulu, Hollywood and Miami. The genre was made famous by Les Baxter, a noted composer, arranger, orchestral conductor and concert pianist who penned the famous Exotica standard "Quiet Village". The genre got under full swing with West Coast Pianist/Arranger Martin Denny who took the genre to a whole new level of exotic sonorities with his famous bird calls, jungle cries and instrumentation from around the world. Exotica started originally with virtuoso concert repertoire for the piano and is heavily influenced by the Impressionists: Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Cyril Scott. Cyril Scott's LOTUS LAND became an exotica standard for many notable Exotica artists including Martin Denny and Gene Rains as well as a vocal rendition for Martha Raye. James Spencer's performs LOTUS LAND the springtime dreamy 2nd movement COLUMBINE as well as the rarely played Cyril Scott exotica suite masterpiece IMPRESSIONS FROM THE JUNGLE BOOK. Leopold Godowsky, the American renowned Concert Pianist and Composer (also sharing a birthday with James Spencer on February 13) penned the perfumed impressionist masterpiece NOCTURNAL TANGIER. Leopold Godowsky was well known for his exotica romantic masterpieces most notably his JAVA SUITE. Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz offers up a sensual balmy exotic barcarolle entitled Mallorca. The 1910s and 20s saw a great deal of immigration from the Orient to the US, most notable Chinese immigrants into areas like San Francisco and New York. Chinoiserie (or novelty parlor piano pieces with a Chinese flavor) became very popular. The most notable composer of this genre was Abram Chasins. His SHANGHAI TRAGEDY and RUSH HOUR IN HONG KONG soon became Exotica standards with versions by Martin Denny and others. Inspired by Les Baxter's QUIET VILLAGE and OASIS OF DAHKLA, James Spencer introduces an original track: THE MYSTERIOUS JADE TEMPLE OF DAHKLA, using bass motifs similar to QUIET VILLAGE and chordal structures similar to THE JUNGLE by Cyril Scott. THE COCKTAIL PIANO HOUR series is the very first series of its kind. Beginning in 2015, James Spencer will record 25 volumes (Over 25 hours of every genre of Cocktail Piano music) over the course of the next 2 years. James Spencer is the piano artist heard on NIGHTFALL (2014) voted in the top 10 jazz lounge albums of 2014 by COCKTAIL NATION (Sydney, Aus). His jazz albums have been heard on international podcasts including: The Cocktail Nation, Penthouse Radio, The Breeze, Cool Jazz Connection, and Drive In Lounge. James is the author of LES BAXTER, LADY LIBERTY: THE DEFINITIVE JULIE LONDON HANDBOOK, AN HISTORICAL STUDY OF KURT WEILL'S DER SILBERSEE and VINTAGE VEGAN: THE ART OF VEGAN TEA HOSTING, VEGANDISIAC as well as THE ULTIMATE MARTINI and the ULTIMATE MARGARITA. All available from Amazon.com. He is currently working on a biography of Exotica artist Martin Denny. James Spencer is a noted music/acting coach currently residing in Long Beach, California. He is an agent/artist developer and also a US representative music coach for London College of Music's exams, at West London University. For information about lessons with James Spencer, management/artist development services, upcoming album and book releases and tour schedule please visit: jamesrspencer.com or call 562 394 2694.