He studied classical piano[2] and toured South America for four and a half years in the 1930s with the Don Dean Orchestra.
Denny collected a large number of ethnic instruments from all over the world, which he used to spice up his stage performances.
[4] After serving in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, Denny returned to Los Angeles in 1945 where he studied piano and composition under Dr. Wesley La Violette[5] and orchestration under Arthur Lange at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music.
He stayed to form his own combo in 1955, performing under contract at the Shell Bar in the Hawaiian Village on Oahu and soon signing to Liberty Records.
[6] The original combo consisted of Augie Colon on percussion and birdcalls, Arthur Lyman on vibes, John Kramer on string bass, and Denny on piano.
[7] Lyman soon left to form his own group and future Herb Alpert sideman and Baja Marimba Band founder Julius Wechter replaced him.
[4] "We traveled a lot on the Mainland, but we came back every 12 weeks because the guys had their families here [in Hawaii]," recalled Denny.
The bar had a very exotic setting: a little pool of water right outside the bandstand, rocks and palm trees growing around, very quiet and relaxed.
Denny did the frog part on a grooved cylinder and the whole thing became incorporated into the arrangement of "Quiet Village".
His combo spawned two successful offshoots: Julius Wechter (of Tijuana Brass and Baja Marimba Band fame) and exotica vibist Arthur Lyman.
Denny's recordings are prominently featured in the 1999 film Breakfast of Champions, based on the Kurt Vonnegut novel.