The Big Bamboo

I want to post a couple of "restaurant records," a genre that consists of LPs that were recorded at or promo a restaurant, bar, club, resort or whatever. The first is a nice one recorded in 1961 at The Big Bamboo club in Nassau, Bahamas by the Big Bamboo Orchestra featuring Roy Shurland as vocalist and Little Sparrow on the Steel Pan. Though recorded at the club its not "live" as there is no audience or if there is then they are incredibly silent.

Its a great little album with the stand out track for me being the very, very (for 1961) risque song "Big Bamboo." Now I'd have figured it to be a standard but the label credits the tune to Roy Shurland, the featured Jamaican vocalist. But then again it credits Shurland for "Yellow Bird" and I'm doubting that. Hmmm... Anyhow its a fun one with calypsos and ballads and strong vocals and so just check it out!

I found it also curious that on the back cover, Carib Records had for sale other LPs that you could mail order directly from them. What I thought curious is that they were charging $5.95 per album back in 1961!