Herbie Mann
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| Herbie Mann | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 16 1930 |
| Origin | Image:Flag of the United States.svgUnited States |
| Died | July 1 2003 (aged 73) |
| Genre(s) | jazz |
| Instrument(s) | Flute, |
| Years active | 1940s-2003 |
| Associated acts | Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto |
Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), better known as Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flautist and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played saxophones and clarinets (including bass clarinet), but Mann was among the first jazz musicians to specialize on the flute and was perhaps jazz music's preeminent flautist during the 1960s.
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[edit] Life and career
Herbie Mann was born in Brooklyn, New York.
[edit] The "world music" period
Mann was an early pioneer in the fusing of jazz and world music. He incorporated elements of African music in 1959 following a State Department sponsored tour of the continent, adding a conga player to his band, and the same year recorded Flautista, an album of Afro-Cuban jazz.
In 1961 Mann took a tour of Brazil and returned to the United States to record with Brazilian players including Antonio Carlos Jobim and guitarist Baden Powell. These albums helped popularize the bossa nova. Many of his albums throughout his career returned to Brazilian themes. He went on to record reggae in London (in 1974), Middle Eastern (1966 and 1967) (with oud and dumbek), and Eastern European styles.
In the mid-1960s Mann hired young Chick Corea to play in some of his bands, still with a Latin tinge. His work with Corea has been released on the compilation Complete Latin Band Sessions. In the late 1970s, early 1980s Mann played duets in New york citys [Bottomline]] and the Village Gate to sold out crowds with the late sarod virtuso Vasant Rai
[edit] Crossover
Following the 1969 hit album "Memphis Underground" a number of disco-style smooth jazz records in the 1970s, mainly on Atlantic records, brought some criticism from jazz purists but helped Mann remain active during a period of declining interest in jazz. The musicians on these recordings are some of the best-known session players in soul and jazz, including singer Cissy Houston (mother of Whitney), guitarists Duane Allman and Larry Coryell, bassists Duck Dunn and Chuck Rainey and drummers Al Jackson and Bernard Purdie, these last from the famed Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama.
In this period Mann had a number of songs cross over to the pop charts — rather rare for a jazz musician. A 1998 interview reported that "At least 25 Herbie Mann albums have made the top 200 pop charts, success denied most of his jazz peers." [1]
[edit] Later career
He founded his own record labels Embryo[2] and later "Kokopelli Records" after difficulty with established labels. He later left this label, too.
Mann was quite prolific, recording over 100 albums, and performing regularly. His first gig was playing in the Catskills at age 15. His last, on May 3, 2003 was at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival at age 73. Herbie Mann died at age 73 on July 1 2003 after a long battle with prostate cancer.
[edit] Trivia
- His song Hijack has been used in several pop and hip-hop songs. E.g. The Beatnuts song Watch Out Now and most famous J.Lo's song Jenny from the Block.
- Mann's rendition of Summertime recorded at the Village Gate was heavily sampled by Sublime on their well known song Doin' Time.
[edit] Partial discography
- 1957 - Flute Fraternity
- 1959 - Flautista: Herbie Mann plays Afro-Cuban jazz! Verve Records
- 1959 - African Suite
- 1961 - Herbie Mann At the Village Gate live,
- 1961 - Nirvana
- 1962 - Brazil Bossa Nova & Blues
- 1963 - Do the Bossa Nova - with Castro Neves, Baden Powell and Antonio Carlos Jobim
- 1963 - Returns to the Village Gate - Mann plays a variety of oriental flutes, group includes bowed bass by Nabil Totah
- 1965 - Herbie Mann & João Gilberto with Antonio Carlos Jobim Mann plays on some tracks including a version of One Note Samba with Jobim on piano, and some duets with guitarist Baden Powell.
- 1965 - My Kinda Groove
- 1965 - Latin Mann with pianist Chick Corea
- 1966 - Impressions of the Middle East -
- 1965 - Standing Ovation at Newport with Corea
- 1965 - The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd - with Corea
- 1966 - "Monday Night at the Village Gate - bigger group including Corea and lots of brass. This album is now part of the Returns to the Village gate CD
- 1967 - The Wailing Dervishes
- 1969 - Memphis Underground produced by Tom Dowd, musicians include Larry Coryell - Atlantic Records
- 1970 - Stone Flute
- 1970 - Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty - jazz/r'n'b with Roy Ayers, Miroslav Vitousand the Muscle Shoals rhythm section
- 1971 - Memphis Two Step
- 1971 - Push Push - with Duane Allman
- 1973 - Turtle Bay
- 1974 - London Underground - recorded in London - Atlantic Records
- 1974 - Reggae recorded in London with Mick Taylor and Albert Lee
- Jasil Brazz
- 1975 - Discotheque - with vocals by Cissy Houston, contains the Top 20 hit "Hijack"
- 1975 - Waterbed - with Houston
- 1976 - Surprises - with Houston
- 1977 - Fire Island with vocalist Googie Coppola
- 1977 - The Atlantic Family Live in Montreaux
- 1978 - Brazil: Once Again
- 1979 - Sunbelt
- Deep Pocket
- 1989 - Opalescence
- 1997 - Peace Pieces
- Celebration
- 1997 - America Brazil
- Sona Terra
- 2000 - Eastern European Roots
[edit] See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
[edit] External links
- Official Site
- Further Discography and Biographyde:Herbie Mann
es:Herbie Mann fr:Herbie Mann it:Herbie Mann nl:Herbie Mann
