let's DANCE !!!
Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 2: Mambo Fever is a solid installment in this CD series of lounge music mostly from the 1950s and 1960s. The quality of the recordings is excellent; they've been polished up nicely. The artwork is wonderful; and don't forget to look for those drink recipes in the liner notes!

Don Swan & His Orchestra start things off with their cha cha version of "Hooray For Hollywood (Cha-Cha)." This really sounds great and it's still perfect for dancing with your sweetheart late at night in the privacy of your living room all alone. The melody gets a lot of strength from the drums and percussion, too. Jackie Davis and his musicians perform a lively rendition of Peggy Lee and David Barbour's "Mañana (Is Soon Enough For Me)." "Mañana (Is Soon Enough For Me)" sounds very strong with the organ leading the musical arrangement and it's a fun tune to hear even when there are no vocals.

Luis Oliveria & His Bandodalau Boys perform a rousing version of "Chihuahua;" this sounds so good you'll be dancing for sure! There's also The John Buzon Trio, one of my very favorite groups from this era of lounge music, doing a great job on "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me." The group's trademark use of the organ works wonders for this tune and the percussion also adds a lot to the melody. I love it!

"Mambo Jambo (Que Rico El Mambo)" by Dave Barbour and his buddies sounds very much like Mexican music from that era; it's also great for dancing. "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans Mambo" by Van Alexander & His Orchestra has a fresh and new flavor to it and again I think you'll want to jump up and dance practically wherever you are--it's all THAT good.

Billy May's Rico Mambo Orchestra weighs in with their rendition of "Hernando's Hideaway;" they never miss a beat and it all works very well. "Hernando's Hideaway" is easily one of the highlights of this album. "Malambo #1" features the vocals if Yma Sumac--she was never really my favorite but you just might like this very much as she was popular back in the day.

Jack Costanzo & His Orchestra perform a wonderful tune called "Can-Can Overture;" they really do this one up right! The album also closes nicely with Terry Snyder and his buddies performing "Oye Negra." This strong tune makes the perfect ending for this CD!

If you like lounge music from the 50's and 60s, you're going to love this album. The Spanish influence upon these classic tunes enhances their beauty quite a bit; and I recommend this for people who enjoy classic Spanish music as well.

LOVE ULTRA-LOUNGE!
Love this kind of music - can't get enough - have most all of the CDs. Excellent New Jersey-based company with excellent foresight and retro-understanding for the best party and jazz combos. Excellent choice for any kind of day or evening, party or relaxation time.

Great for parties, easy to listen to
The Ultra-Lounge series is overall is GREAT. I bought a couple of these CD's at first to try out, and also because I wanted to have some nice background music for a dinner party. I immediately purchased 3 more after that, and I'm really pleased. The songs are cool and set a really nice atmosphere if you're having guests over.

I love the Ultra-Lounge series.
The sound quality of the Ultra-Lounge series is excellent, even though the songs were recorded mostly in the 50's and 60's. Capitol Records packs each CD with carefully chosen tracks consistent with the theme of the particular volume in the series. Many of the selections that appear here aren't available elsewhere, either because the original album on which the song appeared is out of print, or because the song was issued as a single and never collected in an album. A few 'previously unreleased' tracks also appear here. This series is a wonderful introduction to the music of a by-gone era, and each album includes detailed notes on each track (artist, writers, date recorded, how released, etc.). I heartily recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this type of music.

One of the better ultra lounge CD's
this is a fun CD to listen to. Not a lot of "serious" salsa here, quite a few novelty tunes, but they get your feet moving and your toes tapping. You will enjoy listening to this CD.