Herbie Mann was a fascinating artist. Not only was he a masterful jazz flutist but he also crossed over to Latin, funk, soul, bossa nova and rock, and he pioneered world music. His curiosity and ability to adapt to various styles was almost unrivaled during the 1960s and '70s.
One of his most popular Latin-jazz albums was Latin Mann: Afro Bossa to Blues. Recorded in 1965 for Columbia, the album featured Oliver Nelson's Latin-jazz arrangement of Manteca, co-composed by Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo and Gil Fuller in 1947.
The ferocious big band that's backing Mann included Carmell Jones, Jerry Kail, Joe Newman and Ernie Royal (tp); Quentin Jackson (tb); Tony Studd (b-tb); Jimmy Heath (ts); Danny Bank (bs); Jose Mangual (bgo); and Willie Bobo, Tommy Lopez and Willie Rodriguez (perc).
The track is perfect in terms of arrangement, energy and execution, and Mann's blowing is superb.
Here's Herbie Mann's Manteca without ad interruptions...
Other Perfection tracks in this ongoing series...
- Paul Desmond and Jim Hall: Any Other Time, go here.
- John Coltrane: You Say You Care, go here.
- Quincy Jones: Funk Junction, go here.
- Art Farmer's Work of Art, go here.
- Miles Davis: A Gal in Calico, go here.
- Gene Krupa: Mulligan Stew, go here.
- Dave Brubeck: The Duke, go here.
- Horace Silver: The Back Beat, go here.
- Horace Parlan: Up & Down, go here.
- Dexter Gordon: Society Red, go here.
- Barney Kessel: You Go to My Head, go here.
- Count Basie: Corner Pocket, go here.
