An underrated gem.
DBW | Chicago, IL USA | 05/11/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"On May 24, 1965 (not 1961 as indicated above), 35-year-old Herbie Mann's septet recorded a very enjoyable set at one of New York City's premier jazz clubs. For a boisterous crowd gathered to hear Mann, up-and-coming pianist Chick Corea, bassist Earl May, vibist Dave Pike, drummer Bruno Carr, conga drum master Carlos "Patato" Valdes and trombonists John Hitchcock and Mark Weinstein, it was a memorable "Monday Night At the Village Gate."The album gets off to a raucous start with "Away From the Crowd," by Attila Zoller, a guitarist collaborator of Mann's who is not heard here. It's a virile, dramatic theme, dominated as much by the trombones' playing of a bombastic three-note phrase as Mann's gymnastics on the flute. "Motherless Child," the second track, is "Monday Night's" tour de force, featuring an arrangement by the great saxophonist-composer Oliver Nelson. Mann's flute makes a lonely opening statement, and then the band gives the traditional melody a shifting, head-swaying beat that evokes the mid-'-60s as much as any performance of the period. Mann takes almost all of the solo time, always knowing when to elongate his phrasing, when to let it hew more closely to the tune, when to move away from it. A highlight comes around the song's midpoint, when the trombones punch out a powerful stanza. I keep mentioning the trombones because throughout the album, the heft they give to the music gives it an insistent quality that's hard to resist."You're Gonna Make It With Me," the fifth and final track, a light, bouncy tune from Hitchcock, is the third best song on the CD. "In Escambrun" and "The Young Turks" aren't up to the rest of the album's standard, but are certainly listenable.Consistent with other club recordings of the period, the sound isn't perfect, but is more than adequate. If you like Herbie Mann, or some of the most melodic jazz of the '60s, "Monday Night At the Village Gate" should be in your collection."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1