HERBIE MANN — The Best Of Herbie Mann (review)

HERBIE MANN — The Best Of Herbie Mann album cover Boxset / Compilation · 1970 · Soul Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
js
“The Best of Herbie Mann” is a collection that was put out by Atlantic in 1970 that covered Mann’s years with them during the 60s. This was probably the height of Herbie’s popularity and found him playing a lot of RnB/jazz, as well as Latin Jazz. The focus of this LP is Herbie’s most popular songs, and there are some good cuts on here, but overall this is a fairly uneven record. “Comin Home Baby” is probably his most popular song ever and they put two live versions on here that take up about half the record. Its a fun groovy beatnik number in typical Herbie Mann style, but did we really need two versions.

The rest of the album consists of Herbie’s classic “Memphis Underground”, the high energy RnB of “Philly Dogg” and two Latin numbers. Of the two Latin cuts, “This Little Girl of Mine” is a fun blast of sunshine, but its hard to imagine why they included “A Man and a Woman”. First of all the song has been played to death by others and Herbie barely solos on this one either. Of the two versions of “Comin Home”, the first one is cool and relaxed and the second has a bigger band and a stronger Latin flavor. On both versions Herbie turns in excellent lengthy solos.

The best thing about this record is that you can find it in used record stores for very cheap. Its not a bad record for someone looking for a first try at Herbie’s music, and could be useful to a DJ looking for a vinyl version of “Memphis Underground”, but there are certainly better Herbie Mann records out there.
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