Mann Among the Festival Crowd
Herbie Mann takes his flute to Newport and turns the festival into a playground.
The recording took place at the Newport Jazz Festival, where Herbie Mann brought a band built around his flute and a rhythm section that could keep things loose. Almost all of the album was captured live on the festival stage, which gives the performances a looser, more immediate feel than a studio date would allow. The crowd is part of the sound, and the band plays to it without much fuss.
Mann's lineup pairs him with guitarist Attila Zoller and a pair of trombonists, Jimmy Knepper and Jack Hitchcock, who add a warm, slightly rough texture to the front line. Carlos "Patato" Valdés on percussion pushes the rhythms toward Latin territory, which suits the set's mix of standards and originals. Reggie Workman anchors things on bass, and the groove stays steady even when the soloists wander.
If you want a sense of Mann at his most relaxed and playful, this is a good place to hear it. It is not his most ambitious record, and it is not the place to start with his catalog, but it is a fun, honest festival set from a player who knew how to read a crowd.
Who's playing
Reggie Workmanbass
Attila Zollerguitar
Jack Hitchcocktrombone
Joseph Orangetrombone
Jimmy Kneppertrombone
Herbie Mannflute
Bruno Carrdrums
Carlos “Patato” Valdéspercussion
Jimmy Owensbrass
Where next?
More by Herbie Mann
All 36 albums →
