My Goodness - Herbie Mann

Flamingo

My Goodness

Herbie Mann Quartet

Completely Different Sound 

Bethlehem Records BCP-24

1955

From the back cover: We have been a quartet now for three months, Joe Puma, our guitarist, has worked and recorded with Artie Shaw, Louis Bellson, Don Elliott and Chris Connor, and his his own album on Bethlehem (BCP-1012). He is 28 and from the Bronx. Our bassist is the 26 year-old Chuck Andrus from Holyoke, Mass. He has worked with Terry Gibbs, Stan Getz and Claude Thornhill and recorded with Johnny Williams. Chuck is studying bass with Philip Sklar of the NBC Symphony. Harold Granowsky, our drummer, is 24 years old and hails from Indianapolis, Ind. He has worked with Lennie Tristano, Joe Roland and Charlie Barnet.

Herbie is 25 and was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He has worked and recorded with Mat Mathews, Carmen McRae (Bethlehem BCP-1023) and Pete Rugolo. He has also recorded with Chris Connor (Bethlehem BCP-20), Sarah Vaughn and Paul Quinichette. He is studying the flute with Fred Williams in New York. Herbie's first album (BCP-1018) had my third cousin Harrison, the owl, on the cover. – Jay, The Flamingo

We started planning this album two months ago, carefully selecting each tune and then treating each one individually, utilizing the various colorings and shadings the group could produce.

I've had the idea for quite a while to get sort of a "Four Brothers-type" sound with three flutes and alto flute, instead of three tenors and baritone sax. Joe arranged "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" on which I played all four flute parts (sounds like the Four Brothers before their voices changed!)

Love Is A Simple Thing is a beautiful melody that somehow has been over-looked. I play this on alto flute.

One of my favorite contemporary composers is the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos. He conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in the concert of his music at Carnegie Hall in January. I wrote this simple melody Sorimao the next day. The theme is played by the bass (being bowed) and alto flute.

Since I starred playing jazz flute, I've become a flutist doubling on tenor sax (a switch). The Influential Mr. Cohn was written for Al, my favorite tenor man.

A One Way Love is a very sad thing.

Another one of our happy songs is The Surrey With The Fringe On Top. I think this is the group at its swingingest.

Flamingo is one of my favorite ballads. I think the composer had the alto flute in mind when he wrote the melody.

Little Orphan Annie is one of our silly things. Trombonist-vibist Jack Hitchcock suggested it to me. Joe also arranged this one.

So that each 4 flute arrangement would have its own particular flavor, I called Quincy Jones and told him what I was looking for. He told me he had just written a blues waltz that he thought would be perfect. Because of it's Oriental flavor, we named Quincy's beautiful waltz Jasmin (Blues 4-flute Waltz)

I wrote the next melody for a very wonderful girl and singer, Beverly. I play this on flute, unaccompanied.

Joe wrote the swinging blues Woodchuck. This is the story of a little woodchuck (as played by Chuck Andrus) and his search for berries. He finds one (as played by Harold Granowsky) and then he finds tw more (as played by Joe Puma and I). Now this is a very small woodchuck, and these are very big berries, and he is running pretty fast – so, he has a problem holding on to them all. He keeps dropping them and picking them up. This keeps going on until the end of the record (as played by you!) – Herbie Mann

From Billboard - October 22, 1955: The Mann group features the rather unique instrumentation of flute, backed with rhythm, a grouping whose sound might be expected to wear thin thru 12 selections. Nevertheless, the boys produce some very interesting things here and Mann employs as alto flute now and then for pleasant contrasts. Those who dote on the new and experimental will enjoy hearing this collection of tunes.

I've Told Ev'ry Little Star

Love Is A Simple Thing 

There No You

Sorimao

The Influential Mr. Cohn

A One Way Love

The Surrey With The Fringe On Top

Flamingo

Little Orphan Annie

Jasmin (Blues 4 Flute Waltz)

Beverly

Woodchuck