Great Ideas Of Western Mann (with bonus tracks)

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A really wonderful album by Herbie Mann – and one of the few to feature him exclusively on bass clarinet! Bass clarinet is one of the hippest of instruments – mastered only by a few strong solo players in jazz, like Eric Dolphy or David Murray – and Herbie shows here that he was way more than a pop jazz player back in the 50s, as he uses the tone of the deep rich instrument to weave magical lines of color and sound. He's working here with a hip small LA combo that includes Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Mel Lewis on drums – and the tracks are long and snaking, way more interesting than you'd expect! Titles include "The Theme", "A Handful Of Stars", "Lady Bird", and "A Stella Performance". Plus, the CD also features the 13 minute bonus track, "Blues For Tomorrow", not on the original LP! The collection also features 4 tracks from a rare Verve session – The Magic Flute Of Herbie Mann – hardly the sort of operatic fare you might guess from the title, and instead one of Herbie's most enigmatic albums of the time, thanks to a nicely dark-edged quality to the sound! Herbie's flute is crisp and clean, but also extremely soulful – and backing is by a trio with Jimmy Rowles on piano, Buddy Clark on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums – all playing with moodier tones than you might expect from some of their other work of the time. Titles include "Let's Dance", "Tenderly", "Strike Up The Band", and "St Louis Blues".  © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.