Julius Wechter

With his Baja Marimba Band, Julius Wechter popularized, updated and Americanized the traditional marimba sound in the same way his friend and frequent collaborator Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass revitalized the Mexican mariachi band--as a member of Martin Denny's backing group, he was also a catalyst behind the exotica phenomenon. Born in Los Angeles on May 10, 1935, as a teen Wechter enjoyed a series of small roles in Hollywood films before adopting the vibraphone at the same time as the West Coast jazz scene began to flourish. In 1956 he recorded a solo LP, Linear Sketches,...