New Mann At Newport - Herbie Mann

New Mann At Newport
Herbie Mann
Cover Photo: Joe Alper
Album Design: Marvin Israel
Supervision: Nesuhi Ertegun
Recording Engineer: Bill Hanley & Phil Lehle
Atlantic Recording Corporation 1471
1966

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the cover art and jacket notes.

On Project S, Scratch, She's A Carioca & Summertime, the personnel is Herbie Mann, flutes; Jimmy Owens, trumpet & fluegelhorn; Joe Orange & Jack Hitchcock, trombones; Reggie Workman, bass; Carlos "Palato" Valdes, percussion; Bruno Carr, drums.

On All Blues, the personnel is the same except that Jimmy Knepper, trombone replaces Jack Hitchcock, and Attila Zoller, guitar is added.

Jimmy Heath arranged Project 2 & She's A Carioca. Johnny Carisi arranged All Blues

From the inside (book-fold) cover: Speaking of the occasions he has returned to the scene of the former trump, or reshape the performance of an earlier hit, Duke Ellington once said: "At times like that I'm not competing with Ellington." A similar dictum might be applied in the case of New Mann At Newport: here is Mann competing with Mann.

As anyone can tell you who was there, or who bought the album, Herbie Mann's group destroyed all contenders during a phenomenally emotion-charged set at the 1965 Newport Jazz Festival. The vital, gutty music that reached out and touched the 15,000 fans who packed the field that night was preserved ub Standing Ovation At Newport (Atlantic 1445).

Naturally, in 1966 George Wein wanted Herbie back. And just as naturally, Herbie did it again. Having been present on both occasions, I can testify to the power of Mann, to his unique way of getting to a crowd. Once again the creation was so strong that Wein had difficulty in introducing the following act. It was another night to add to the long list of such events in the career of Mann as a leader.

On New Mann At Newport you will hear a personnel and instrumentation slightly different from that of the 1965 group. In addition to the two trombones there is Jimmy Owens, a trumpeter doubling on fluegelhorn. This youngster attracted attention a couple of seasons back, working with Charles Mingus. Born 22 years ago in New York City, he played in the 1959-60 Newport Youth Band. Herbie says: "I think Jimmy Owens is probably the most important new trumpet and flugelhorn player around."

Project S, composed and arranged by tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath (brother of the MJQ's Percey) is an orthodox swinger in 4/4, that fast-disappearing meter. Herbie's gift for finding an interesting series of contexts for his flute is well demonstrated as he works with Reggie Hitchcock's vibes and lets Owens sidle in subtly. The trombone soloist is Joe Orange, 25-year-old nephew of the great swing era trombonist J. C. Higginbotham.

Scatch was composed by Wayne Henderson, well known as trombonist with the Jazz Crusaders. Heard in a much briefer version of Our Mann Flute (Atlantic 1464), it has a smoother, lighter beat in this new treatment. A funky, attractive theme with simple blues chords and interesting intervals, it shows Workman double-stopping while Herbie blows, alternating solos by the brass men, and one of those sharp cut-off endings reminiscent of the bebop era.

She's A Carioca is a Jobim tune, arranged for this occasion by Jimmy Heath. "It was something of a challenge for Jimmy," Herbie says, "He usually arranges his own tunes; in fact, he told me this was his first bossa nova arrangement." The trombone soloist is Jack Hitchcock.

All Blues is a ringer in this set, in that it was not recorded at Newport, but shortly before the festival, and with two personnel changes (see listing). The Miles Davis composition is a blues with a triple pulse and a long-meter (i.e. 24-bar) chorus. Owen's is outstanding here; his spare, brooding sound bears out Herbie's enthusiastic endorsement.

An unusual aspect of this track is the presence of a tenor saxophonist in the person of one Herbie Mann. "I hadn't touched the tenor in at least four years." says Herbie. "Then, about four months before this recording was made, I took it up again; so this is my first recorded tenor solo since I resumed doubling." His warm sound and supple handling of the horn would seem likely to presage many more such contributions. Notice the sensitive time feeling, and the sound of surprise in the selection of notes. All Blues, incidentally, was arranged for Mann by Johnny Carisi.

Summertime is another repeat performance. An earlier version was taped in the days before Herbie Mann At The Village Gate, his first hit album, Atlantic 1380. This treatment, however, is a bird of a very different color, and one that flies a little faster.

The long introductory passage by Reggie Workman serves as a reminder of Mann's aptitude for setting moods in some of his more informal performances (this is a head arrangement). It also offers an exceptionally effective illustration of the headway made by the bass fiddle in jazz during the past few years. Workman is heard in a fine big-toned arco, as well as as pizzicato and strumming, before the vibes' preparatory riff enters to pave the way for the exposition of the melody by Herbie. The ad lib flute, backed by the perennial percussion of Carlos "Patato" Valdes, leads to various unpredictable developments, involving changes of meter and tempo, that take the performance far outside of the Gershwin theme. Herbie seems to work his way clear through a fall, winter and spring before Summertime returns. – Leonard Feather

Project S
Scratch
She's A Carioca
All Blues
Summertime