AMG Review of Forbidden Island

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

Denny recorded his third album shortly after suffering a key loss in his ranks with the defection of vibraphonist Arthur Lyman, who left to start his own successful solo career. Lyman also recruited a rhythm section that had formerly worked with Denny, who carried on by replacing him with vibraphonist Julius Wechter. At any rate, Martin's sound didn't change much, mixing island sounds, easy listening, and Asian/world music accents. This has compositions by Denny, Wechter, and Les Baxter, as well as some exoticized standards. The entire LP was paired with its follow-up, Primitiva, on a single CD by Scamp in 1996.