Mr. Phelps: The mission, Agent TGWS, as you yourself chose to accept it, was to find five – count ’em, five! – exotica music CDs worthy of arranging on a CD player carousel, so all you’d need to spend an afternoon in absolute exotica ecstacy is to hit the ‘Shuffle’ button on the player.

Agent TGWS: That’s correct, Boss, but believe me, it wasn’t easy. The first four – well, those actually turned out to be a no-brainer; it was finding that last one that really turned out to be an adventure.

MP: Explain, Agent.

AT: Well, as you know, Boss, kicking off the effort with Martin Denny‘s classic Exotica I & II was a no-brainer – after all, he was one who took the arrangements of Les Baxter…

MP: You mean, the “Father of Exotica”…

AT: That’s right, Boss, it was Denny who took Baxter’s lush arrangements (designed for an orchestra setting), then slimmed them down and tightened them up for use by his own smaller combo to become the so-called “High Priest of Exotica”. And the fact that both of those albums were available on a single CD made it all the better.

MP: So it was one down…

AT: Correct. And that’s when it occurred to us that the Martini Kings’ “Tikis and Bikinis” CD – which we already had in our collection – seemed to compliment the sounds Denny became famous for.

MP: So that made two…

AT: Correctamundo, el Capitan. Now the third CD – ah yes, the third CD – I can’t quite remember how the heck we found out about the band Waitiki and their CD “Charred Mammal Flesh: Exotic Music for BBQ”. Maybe just trolling the Internet late one night. At any rate, it was a natural, a perfect slice of exotica for the new millennium.

MP: Alright, so you had three, what about the last two?

AT: Well, the thought occurred to me that one couldn’t very well have Martin Denny in your collection without at least discovering his roots and the music of Les Baxter…

MP: You mean, the “Father of Exotica”…

AT [sighing]: Yes, Boss, the “Father of Exotica”…

MP: Don’t get snippy with me, Agent…

AT: Er, sorry about that, Boss – anyways, I went to Amazon.com and found “The Exciting Moods of Les Baxter”. Four entire albums compiled on two CDs! How could anyone resist?

MP [looking at the Amazon.com entry]: A little pricey for an agent of your modest means, don’t you think?

AT: Well, sir, you only live once…

MP: Fine. So now you had four. What about the fifth?

AT: Umm… speaking of fifths, Boss…

MP: Er, sure – a Pusser’s Navy Rum, neat?

AT: Thanks, Boss! Thought you’d never ask…

MP: I understand finding the fifth and final CD proved a bit difficult, did it not?

AT: Sure did, Boss. Well, the first thing we did was try both of the Les Baxter…

MP: You mean [together, with AT] “The Father of Exotica”…

AT: …CDs, but there were a couple of tracks on one of the discs that sounded a little too out there, so then we thought, why not try some Arthur Lyman?

MP: I see from his dossier that he played the vibes in Denny’s band…

AT: Correct, sir. So we picked up his CD “Taboo”, but oddly enough, we found it didn’t really jive with the sound we were looking for; sounded a little dated, and a little too quaint to me.

MP: You were looking for something a little edgier, then?

AT: Well, just a little more modern sounding, which is how we discovered “The Forbidden Sounds of Don Tiki”.

MP: Ah, that Hawaiian band. Under McGarrett’s jurisdiction, I believe. Good.

AT: Anyways, the CD has a fantastic vibe that compliments every other CD on that tray. I think it’s a keeper, Boss. And we can close the case.

MP: Excellent work by your team, Agent TGWS. Well done, indeed.

AT: Thank you, Boss. Say, how about another Pusser’s?

MP: How would you like to self-destruct in 5 seconds?