Flute and Piano in Quiet Conversation
Herbie Mann swings straight-ahead alongside Bill Evans's trio, a rare meeting of flute and piano.
Nirvana sits in a very specific corner of Herbie Mann's career. By the early 1960s Mann had already experimented with a lot of styles, and this record catches him back in a straight-ahead bop setting, playing with a trio led by Bill Evans. It is not the place where Mann reinvented himself, but it is a clean look at what he could do when the context was simply swing.
The pairing is the interesting part. Evans studied flute during his college years and was fond of the instrument, but he rarely recorded with a flutist, so hearing Mann float over Evans's piano, Chuck Israels's bass, and Paul Motian's drums has a lighter, more open feel than you might expect. The rhythm section keeps things loose and forward-moving, and Mann sounds comfortable rather than showy.
This is a good album for listeners who already like either musician and want to hear them in a less adventurous setting. It is not essential in the way some of Evans's trio records are, but it is enjoyable and easy to return to. Start with Evans's own trio work if you want the definitive version of that group, and come to this when you want something more relaxed.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann at the Village Gate 1962
The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet 1956
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Hi Flutin' 1957
Do the Bossa Nova with Herbie Mann 1962
The musicians on this record
Portrait in Jazz 1960
Bill Evans
plays piano here
plays piano here
Etudes 1988
Paul Motian
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
Eindhoven Concert 1959
Chuck Israels
plays bass here
plays bass here
