We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago……
He may the most prolific artist I will cover in these pages. Jazz flautist Herbie Mann released well over 100 albums in his long and varied career.
In the late 60’s and early 70’s he released a number of albums recorded in Memphis with the crack session men available. You might remember Duane Allman playing on a number of classic tracks.
In 1972 the album was called “Mississippi Gambler” and is a nice addition to his catalog. Along with Mann’s flute the band includes noted sax man “David “Fathead” Newman along with Memphis cats like Reggie Young, Bobby Wood, Bobby Emmons, Mike Leech and Gene Chrisman.
The selection of songs is eclectic. Two Mann originals are bracketed by a gospel classic “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” which includes a greasy Young guitar solo….and Side 2 gives us three popular tunes of the day with the patented Mann style. Young gives another great guitar solo on the Staples Singers “Respect Yourself”, Newman’s sax shines on Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Lovin You Too Long” and the band turns “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” from a rocker to a nice slow jam.
Mann would re-invent himself many times over the course of the decades he worked…usually melding his music to the styles of the day. That he embraced that great Memphis sound for awhile is a gift to us.
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