Arthur Lyman

Lyman served as vibraphonist in Martin Denny's ensemble and proved essential to shaping exotica's signature atmosphere. He departed the lineup in 1957, however, launching a solo path whose commercial reach nearly matched Denny's own. His recordings naturally echoed Denny's approach yet carried an even stronger dreamlike quality. Listeners seeking escape responded strongly, propelling his first release, Taboo, to number six on the album charts in 1958. While handling vibraphone duties with his own musicians, Lyman also contributed guitar, piano, and drums, all while emphasizing the possibilities of stereophonic recording techniques.

A handful of singles charted as well, among them Taboo and Love for Sale, which landed in the middle ranks, and Yellow Bird, which climbed to number four in 1961 and stood as the sole major exotica success apart from Denny's Quiet Village. During the 1990s Lyman enjoyed a partial revival of interest, much like Denny though on a smaller scale, as the space age pop movement encouraged audiences once more to retrieve vintage LPs and linger in tiki bars. He kept playing for visitors in Waikiki until the year preceding his death from throat cancer on February 24, 2002.