Search - Herbie Mann, Bobby Jaspar :: Flute Souffle

1957 bebop cake

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 04/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"1957 the year, bebop the music, you can't go wrong. You' can buyt these albums from 1957 with your eyes closed. Every album from the period is exceptional and this makes no exception. Very good dish is this one by Herbie Mann and Bobby Jaspar two flutists. Great the leaders but extremely inspired the other cookers too, Joe Puma guitar (very inspired, similar in his playing to Joe Pass, Jimmy Rainey, Kenny Burrell, the Jim Hall of the time ... clean very polite sound even without reverb), Tommy Flanagan (absolutly perfect as usual) piano, Wendell Marshall doublebass, Bobby Donaldson drums (a very straight and consistent section). The opener Tel Aviv is a medium tempo minor tune which sports some very exotic jazz minutes. It's a good experiment, 14 minutes flow without weak moments. The second tune is a contrafact. It's a standard chord progression, I'm sure .. let me hear it well ... it is Out of nowhere if I'm not going wrong. I'm almost sure. Good line, the tempo is up. Very nice solos from the guys. The third tune is Let's march, it is a minor blues speeder. Extremely satisfying. Then it's time for the closing line, an anatoll, Chasing the Bird ... it is a Charlie Parker number. I really love Bird's line! They are truly my cup of tea ..!! Sometimes Herbie and Bobby plays their tenor saxes instead of their flutes in this record and these are nice moments, good variations. But this album is about 99% about flute blowing! It's splendid! For real! A gem! I really love the guitar playing from Joe Puma, a really good player and his presence is a nice addiction to the line up which is extremely coeherent in his sounds and solos. A blowing session in the end over some of the best known Jazz vehicle fo good improvisation .. with some nice surprises here and there .... the overall balance is just right, flutes, guitr, piano, a touch of tenor saxophones here and there. Very very good."