First of all: trombonist and conductor Frank Hunter's White Goddess of 1959 is one of the most fascinating Exotica records ever released during the pinnacle phase of the genre. Secondly, it is also one of the rarest, most expensive items to possess. Sure enough do several LP's appear at once on eBay, but the price range is dizzying. Thirdly – and here's the good part – has this record finally been re-issued in 2008 as a digital download version on iTunes, Amazon and Co. in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary. It was a great opportunity for me to chime in, as I've never heard it before.
I've never looked back since then either, as White Goddess, released on Kapp Records, sparkles and glows due to its verve, vivid aura and status as a rarity, but not in the physical sense, for I am referring to its aesthetic value, as Hunter never revisited the genre after the delivery of this sought-after piece and instead relied on lackluster Christmas singles, stale Mother's Day kitsch and lackluster Mr. Sandman renditions in the 60's and 70's. What a waste of talent! Anyway, I better stop my tirade, as I'm actually in a good mood when I get the chance to talk about White Goddess. What is so great about this album is that Hunter created it deliberately, a thing you don't hear often in the Exotica scene where record labels pressed many a conductor or producer to come up with some mix of renditions, and quickly so, in order to not miss the bandwagon.
Having gained artistic independence after his work with many vocalists and Jazz singers, among them Anita Darian and Pat Boone, Kapp Records allowed him total creative freedom, a thing only Robert Drasnin experienced during the concept phase of his Exotica classic Voodoo!, released in the same year. And like Drasnin, Hunter took this project seriously and came up with the usual 12 songs, a whopping eight of them unique compositions specifically written by Hunter for his album. The key instrument is without a doubt the so-called ondioline, an electric piano that can best be described as a hybrid between a shawm and a theremin. Thankfully, it is not used in each and every composition, thus keeping the variety intact. Without further ado, here comes the White Goddess.