Herbie Mann - Complete Recordings: 1959-1962

Herbie Mann - The Complete Recordings Part III 1959-1962 Having already put out an impressive body of work by the end of 1958, Manns career witnessed a major creative shift thanks to one Sid Torin. Better known as Symphony Sid, Torin was the DJ credited by many as having introduced bebop into the mainstream, and it was he who suggested Mann add a conga player to his group. This, coupled with a State Department funded tour of Africa, influences the Afro-Cuban jazz album Flautista! (Verve, 1959). Recorded live at Basin Street East, New York on 30th June that year and featuring renowned percussionist Carlos Patato Valdes, the record was a vital stylistic development for Mann, and for the jazz genre as a whole. Across the next few years Herbie Mann's albums would become a veritable smorgasbord of legendary jazz percussionists, with 1960s Flute, Brass, Vibes And Percussion (Verve, 1961) regarded as one of Manns finest recordings, due in no small part to the inclusion of Ray Barretto and Ray Mantilla. This four disc collection features eight complete albums from one of the most exciting and experimental phases of Herbie Mann's career, and serves as a perfect illustration of how this unique, exciting and ultimately fearless musician favored the exotic over the traditional or mainstream and in so doing ended up among the most respected jazz men of all time.