Herbie Mann - The Complete Recordings: 1957-1958 (2017)

A pioneer of what has come to be known as world music and one of the first notable jazz flautists, Herbie Mann s unique sound developed throughout his long and eclectic career. With a repertoire that also included the tenor saxophone and clarinet, Mann produced a staggering back catalogue during his lifetime, both as bandleader and alongside such jazz greats as Chet Baker, Count Basie and Art Blakey, featuring prominently as he did on the latter s undisputed masterpiece Orgy In Rhythm. Between 1957 and 1958, a period in which he began to evolve from his roots in bop and cool jazz, Herbie Mann recorded some of his most critically-acclaimed albums of the 1950s, including the well received Salute To The Flute. Featuring a plethora of big name contributors including Oscar Pettiford, Philly Joe Jones and Gigi Gryce, this landmark work also included guitarist Joe Puma in its line up, a musician who had featured on many of Mann s previous records. 1957 also saw the release of one of Herbie s most curious LPs, Mann Alone, remembered primarily as a solo jazz flute record and previously available only on vinyl. Other notable releases from the period include the classic Yardbird Suite, featuring Mann s interpretation of Charlie Parker s bebop standard, and Flute Fraternity, which saw him collaborate with the legendary Buddy Collette. Demonstrating the musical dexterity of the pair, the album would feature both Mann and Collette playing flute, various saxophones and clarinet. Just Wailin boasted the talents of saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist Mal Waldron, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist George Joyner and drummer Art Taylor. In December of 1958, Mann had the honour of recording several sessions with the great jazz trumpeter Chet Baker, which would later appear on Chet Baker Introduces Johnny Pace and Chet. 1957 and 1958 marked a true turning point in the career of Herbie Mann as he began to abandon the straight-edge cool jazz style for which he had become best known, and increasingly take influence from outside his traditional fare. This collection, featuring eight original Herbie Mann albums, all now in fully remastered format and providing over five hours of music across four CDs, documents perfectly the beginnings of this master musicians most transitional and challenging period, as it highlights the great man s ability to adopt increasingly experimental forms in a surprisingly subtle manner.