The timeless appeal of Burlesque, born in the cosmopolitan night spots of Paris and New York during the 19^th century, perfected as an enduringly popular performance art form in both seedy dives and classy supper clubs worldwide throughout the early to mid-20^th century, then briefly dismissed as an obsolete artifact of nostalgia before its recent resurgence as a thriving subculture in the 21^st Century, can be attributed to one simple thing: SEX. The look of it, the sound of it, the smell of it, the fun of it—all craftily communicated with teasing, innocuous yet sensuous creativity, as opposed to the more obvious acrobatics of contemporary strip clubs or the clinically cold, ingloriously graphic lure of pure pornography.  This is music you can bring home to Mama, which she could dance to either while making that pot roast in the kitchen, or getting ready for a date with Daddy. Performed by the Johnny Staccato Band (named after John Cassavete’s cult private eye TV series from the early ‘60s), this brassy compilation unearths a veritable vault of tuneful treasures, including such tassel-twirling chestnuts as “Night Train,” “One Mint Julep,” “Moonglow,” “Harlem Nocturne,” “Shangri-La,” and of course David Rose’s seminal bump-n-grind anthem, “The Stripper.” The CD also boasts very informative liner notes detailing the history of the art form, illustrated with beautiful “girlie art” courtesy of archivist Athan Maroulis. Perfectly suited for dressing in the morning, or undressing in the evening, this is all-purpose, stylishly sonic stimulation for the senses, not the senseless.

Will "The Thrill" Viharo is a freelance writer, host of the film series “Forbidden Thrills” at Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge, and creator of the long running cult movie cabaret “Thrillville.” He lives in Alameda, CA with his wife Monica “Tiki Goddess” Cortes and their two cats. His pulp novels “A Mermaid Drowns in the Midnight Lounge,” "Chumpy Walnut," and "Down a Dark Alley" are now available at http://stores.lulu.com/willviharo For more please surf over to www.thrillville.net