Herbert Jay Solomon(April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003),[1]known by hisstage nameHerbie Mann,was an Americanjazzflute playerand important early practitioner ofworld music.Early in his career, he also playedtenor saxophoneandclarinet(includingbass clarinet), but Mann was among the first jazz musicians to specialize on the flute. His most popular single was "Hi-Jack",which was aBillboardNo. 1 dance hitfor three weeks in 1975.
Herbie Mann | |
|---|---|
 Mann c. 1980 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Herbert Jay Solomon |
| Born | April 16, 1930 Brooklyn,New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 1, 2003(aged 73) Pecos, New Mexico,U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz,bossa nova,disco,world music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record label executive |
| Instrument(s) | Flute,tenor saxophone,bass clarinet |
| Discography | Herbie Mann discography |
| Years active | 1953–2003 |
| Labels | Atlantic,Cotillion,Embryo,Kokopelli |
| Website | www |
Mann emphasized thegrooveapproach in his music. Mann felt that from his repertoire, the "epitome of a groove record" wasMemphis UndergroundorPush Push,because the "rhythm section locked all in one perception."[2]
Early life, family and education
editHerbie Mann was born inBrooklyn,New York,New York,toJewishparents Harry C. Solomon (May 30, 1902 – May 31, 1980), who was of Russian descent, and Ruth Rose Solomon (née Brecher) (July 4, 1905 – November 11, 2004), of Romanian descent who was born inBukovina, Austria-Hungarybut immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of 6.[3][4][5]Both of his parents were dancers and singers, as well as dance instructors later in life.[3]
He attendedLincoln High SchoolinBrighton Beach,Brooklyn.
Career
editHis first professional performance was playing theCatskillsresorts at age 15. In the 1950s Mann was primarily abopflutist, playing in combos with artists such asPhil Woods,occasionally playingbass clarinet,tenor saxophoneand solo flute.
Mann was an early pioneer of the fusion ofjazzandworld music.In 1959, following aUS State Department-sponsored tour of Africa, he recordedFlautista!,an album ofAfro-Cuban jazz.In 1961, Mann touredBrazil,returning to the US to record with Brazilian musicians, includingAntonio Carlos Jobimand guitaristBaden Powell.These albums helped popularizebossa novain the US and Europe. He often worked with Brazilian themes. In the mid-1960s Mann hired a youngChick Coreato play in some of his bands. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Mann played duets at New York City'sThe Bottom LineandVillage Gateclubs, withSarodvirtuosoVasant Rai.
Following the 1969 hit albumMemphis Underground,a number ofsmooth jazzrecords influenced bySouthern soul,blues rock,reggae,funkanddiscoelicited criticism from jazz purists but allowed Mann to remain active during a period of declining interest in jazz. The musicians on these recordings are some of the best-known session players in soul and jazz, including singerCissy Houston,guitaristsDuane Allman,Larry Coryell,andSonny Sharrock,bassistsDonald "Duck" Dunn,Chuck Rainey,andMiroslav Vitous,and drummersAl Jackson, Jr.andBernard Purdie.In this period Mann had a number ofpophits — rare for a jazz musician. According to a 1998 interview Mann had made at least 25 albums that were on theBillboard200pop charts, success denied most of his jazz peers. "[6]
Mann provided the music for the 1978National Film Board of Canadaanimated shortAfterlife,byIshu Patel.
In the early 1970s, he founded his own label,Embryo Records,distributed byCotillion Records,a division ofAtlantic Records.[7]Embryo produced jazz albums, such asRon Carter'sUptown Conversation(1970);Miroslav Vitous' first solo album,Infinite Search(1969);Phil Woodsand his European Rhythm Machine at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival (1971); andDick MorrisseyandJim Mullen'sUp(1976), which featured theAverage White Bandas a rhythm section; and the 730 Series, with a more rock-oriented style, includingZero Time(1971) byTONTO's Expanding Head Band.He later set upKokopelli Recordsafter difficulty with established labels. In 1996, Mann collaborated withStereolabon the song "One Note Samba/Surfboard" for the AIDS-Benefit albumRed Hot + Rioproduced by theRed Hot Organization.Mann also played flutes on theBee Gees' albumSpirits Having Flown.
His last appearance was on May 3, 2003, at theNew Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
In a review of Mann'sBeyond Brooklyn(2004), his final recording (co-led withPhil Woods), critic George Kanzler proposed that Mann's status as an innovator had been overlooked:
- ...Mann's career, in both its questing nature and embrace of various musical styles, parallels that ofMiles Davis.Mann championed Brazilian music even beforeStan Getz.When Miles was fusing jazz with rock, Mann was fusing it with Memphis soul andSouthern rock.He also was an early exponent of world music. But while Miles was usually hailed as a visionary, Mann was dismissed as just a popularizer selling out. It was a bum rap.[8]
Personal life and death
editMann was married to Susan Janeal Arison. His four children are: Paul Mann, Claudia Mann, Laura Mann-Lepik and Geoffrey Mann. Geoff is a multi-instrumentalist who plays drums for Los Angeles-based metal/afrobeat group Here Lies Man.[9]
After a long battle withprostate cancer,Herbie Mann died at age 73 on July 1, 2003, at his home inPecos, New Mexico.
Discography
editReferences
editNotes
edit- ^Scott Yanow."Herbie Mann | Biography".AllMusic.Retrieved2013-08-08.
- ^"Herbie Mann's New Groove".Jimnewsom.com. 2002-07-09.Retrieved2013-08-08.
- ^abPeter Hawkins (September 10, 2003)."'Family Legacy Endures; Mother Of Herbie Mann Dancing At 98'".Sun Sentinel.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
- ^Alberto Manguel,Ara Guler - Creating the 20th Century: 100 Artists, Writers and Thinkers.Retrieved March 24, 2011.
- ^Robert Palmer (November 11, 1973)."'Why Herbie 'Sold Out,' Or The Evolution of Mann; The Evolution of Herbie Mann'".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 25,2008.
- ^"Herbie Mann Articles".jimnewsom.com.Jim Newsom.Retrieved2012-04-10.
- ^"Embryo Album Discography".bsnpubs.com.2005-09-21.Retrieved2013-08-08.
- ^"Herbie Mann & Phil Woods: Beyond Brooklyn".All About Jazz.15 October 2004.Retrieved2019-02-23.
- ^"Here Lies Man Archives".
Sources
edit- Ginell, Cary, "The Evolution of Mann: Herbie Mann and the Flute in Jazz" - Hal Leonard Books, 2013
External links
edit
- Herbie Mann Interviewallaboutjazz.com
- National Public Radio's Jazz Profiles: Herbie Mann
- Herbie Mann Official Website(final July 2008 snapshot on archive.org)