Best Of Herbie Mann CD

It is probably true that no single LP could definitively sum up all of the directions that Herbie Mann explored in the swingin' '60s, but this one -- part of a sprawling 1970 Atlantic Jazz Anthology series and transferred intact onto CD -- could have done a more thorough job. There are only six selections on Best of Herbie Mann, two of which are "Comin' Home Baby." Three of the tracks deal with various manifestations of R&B, of which "Memphis Underground" is the most obvious and most subtly percolating choice, and the remaining track is a murky cover of a movie tune, "A Man and a Woman" with Tamiko Jones on vocals. The timing -- about 33 minutes -- was short for an LP and it is downright stingy for a CD, given the volume and variety of Mann's Atlantic sessions. Still -- the music is pretty good; there just should have been more of it. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Includes liner notes by Leonard Feather.

Engineers include: Tom Dowd, Phil Iehle, Phil Ramone.

Personnel includes: Herbie Mann (flute); Tamiko Jones (vocals); King Curtis (tenor saxophone); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Marky Markowitz (trumpet); Quentin Jackson (trombone); Daniel Gonzalez, Joe Silva (violin); Hagood Hardy (vibraharp); Dave Pike, Roy Ayers (vibraphone); Chick Corea, Charlie Palmieri (piano); Bobby Wood (electric piano); Bobby Emmons (organ); Larry Coryell, Reggie Young (guitar); Ben Tucker, Nabil Totah (bass); Bruno Carr, Bernard Purdie (drums); Willie Rodriguez, Ray Barretto (percussion).

Producers: Nesuhi Ertegun, Tom Dowd, Ahmet Ertegun.