At The Village Gate – HERBIE MANN***

Comin’ Home Baby/Summertime/It Ain’t Necessarily So

At The Village Gate captured a live jam session from jazz flautist Herbie Mann and his band, featuring two extended tracks from George Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess. (US:30)

“Side A is very nice, very laid-back, late-night jazz. It starts with Comin' Home Baby, a twelve-bar blues with a distinctive descending chromatic line. As for the next track Summertime, George Gershwin presumably didn't realize, at the time he wrote it, that this song is actually a samba, but the ensemble makes a strong case for that proposition here. Side B is devoted to another song from Porgy and Bess - It Ain't Necessarily So which serves merely as an excuse for a twenty minute jam. Mann's solo is quite uninspired; the best part of the piece is the bass solo.”

“The first few measures immediately set the tone for the entire set: the bass solo for a good 24 to 32 beats, the same chord syncopated. The most sublime funk; then the flute is there, before you even know it. It captures your mind, and focuses your intensity, then pushes you back out to a distant observer.”

“Comin' Home is one of those funky resonate pushy sounds that grabs and hits you with its rhythm, melody and changes. Mann gets a lot out of his instrument; you just feel the vibrations - his instrument directly to your body.”

“The sound quality is not great, but not terrible. A treasure of jazz flute and of Herbie Mann. A snapshot of live and intimate jazz club music.”

“This really is one of the coolest jazz albums I’ve ever heard. Very deep, hypnotic and atmospheric. The vibe reminds me of some of the best stuff by the modern jazz quartet, but with a million times more soul. There are some fantastic solos here.”

“With this album, Herbie Mann successfully opened the doors to contemporary 'groove jazz' and the joys it holds.”

“I have still not heard what I would call an impressive performance from Herbie Mann. He's just so middle-of-the-road when it comes to jazz flute, striving for perfection instead of soul. He's plays with no fire and passion. When I compare his solos with other jazz flutes he sounds like a child. But the band is fine.”