A. Lyman, 70; Vibraphonist Specialized in ‘Exotic Music’

Arthur Lyman, a vibraphonist best known for his contributions to so-called “exotic music” from Hawaii in the late 1950s and early 1960s, has died. He was 70.

Lyman died Sunday at a hospital in Honolulu after a long battle with throat cancer.

Born on the island of Kauai, Lyman moved to Honolulu as a child. He became interested in jazz from the mainland, particularly the music of vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. As a teenager, he joined a local jazz group and was soon a widely sought-after musician.

By his early 20s, he was playing with mood music king Martin Denny on Denny’s well-received albums “Exotica,” which contained the hit single “Quiet Village,” and “Exotica 2.”

“He played a very essential part in the formation of the exotic sounds,” Denny told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin this week.

Lyman used the guitar, percussion and vibraphone to produce music with a soft, ethereal quality. Lyman left Denny to form his own quartet. He signed a contract with the Hi-Fi label in 1957 and within a year released his debut album, “Taboo.” The album ultimately made it to No. 6 on the U.S. record charts. Because of its exotic quality, the album was popular with consumers then exploring the new sounds of stereo equipment.

In 1961, Lyman’s single “Yellow Bird” reached No. 4 in the United States. An album of the same name reached the top 10. Lyman’s last album on the charts was “I Wish You Love” in 1963.

Lyman’s band also appeared on the Warner Bros. television program “Hawaiian Eye” in the early 1960s, and his music was frequently in the soundtrack.

His music regained some popularity in the mid-1990s in mood-music compilations.