Pianist and composer Martin Denny is one of the key figures in the development of the jazz hybrid known as exotica—a style that incorporated themes and instruments from foreign lands into compositions that seduced post-war listeners. Home to some of the genre's earliest hits, Denny's 1957 debut album Exotica inspired a deluge of similar LPs from other artists seeking to tap into the nostalgia for faraway places felt by returning WWII vets. The musical craze faded by the time of the ‘60s—but there's no denying the charm of these fantasy island grooves.