Album Notes

\"Midnight on main street U.S.A. Outside a smoky lounge you hear a music so evocative and compelling that you are driven to step inside. Upon entering, you see across the room of well dressed patrons, a beckoning stage upon which all eyes are focused. Intoxicated by the hypnotic rhythms, you are drawn, trance-like, closer and closer. After fighting through the crowd, you finally reach the stage front and before you stands a group of dashingly handsome men who command the stage. Their commanding vocals, hypnotic vibraphone, and sultry saxophone seduce and transport you to another world... \"

The jazz lounge combo known as Voodoo Martini can trace it\'s origins to New York in the mid-90s. Musician Phil Gammage (aka Roulette, aka Fontaigne) a recording artist/performer with several solo LPs under his belt, began to write heavily jazz and latin influenced songs. After composing about a dozen or so of these songs Phil began to organize a vehicle in which to record and perform them...

Shortly thereafter in 1995 Phil assembled the first group or musicians collectively known as Voodoo Martini. The group performed their first show at New York\'s Sidewalk Cafe in September of \'95. The lineup for the first show was Phil (guitar, harmonica, and vocals), Dennis DeMeo (guitar), Martin Blazy as Pel Mel Torme (percussion and vocals), and Chris Marek (bass). Shortly after this first performance the band added another percussionist Pedro Callliente.

Soon the combo was performing at many noted New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia venues to enthusiastic crowds and great press writeups. Sharing the bill with other like minded bands (Everlounge, The Last of the International Playboys, Cocktail Angst, and Beat Positive) the group became a fixture in the new east coast \"lounge scene\" and were regulars at such noted nightclubs as The Greatest Bar on Earth (at the late great Windows on the World), The Fez, Ed Sullivan\'s, S.O.B.s, Louisiana Bar & Grill and Rodeo Bar in New York, and the immortal Five Spot in Philadelphia. In addition to live work the band were regular on the New York based pseudo.com internet only audio show \"Chatterbox Lounge\" hosted by swing music impresario Luigi Babe and Allison Gordy.

With the departure of Marek and the addition of new bassist Pablo Marengue the group went into the Harold Dessau Recording Studio in 1997 to record their historic debut CD Exotic and Mysterious, The Sounds of Voodoo Martini\". The CD contained 10 original tunes all written or co-written by Gammage and his collegues. The CD was extremely well received by the press and charted nationally on several college, jazz, and alternative stations. Often described by the press as \'power lounge\' this recording helped define the new retro/lounge/swing music movement of the late 90s. It remains a timeless classic and the definite musical testament of it\'s genre.

Monti diMonti
September 2005

Phil Gammage - lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
Dennis DeMeo - lead guitar, vocals, percussion
Pete Solomita - percussion
Paul Marotta - bass guitar, keyboards
Martin Blazy - vocals, percussion

Produced by Voodoo Martini & Roger Scheepers. Mixed by: D. Lee.

Recorded at Harold Dessau, N.Y.C. January and June of 1997. Art direction by Roulet. Back cover photo by Dan Freeman. Front cover photo posed by professional models. Memorabilia: Monte DiMonti.