Herbie Mann ft Machito's Jazz Orchestra - Super Mann + Discography

HERBIE MANN
Super Mann
1975
256+ VBR LAME mp3
Vinyl rip & scans from Trip TLP-5031

****KILLED BY THE IFPI ON 17/10/11****

For years I wondered what the deal was with this record since I had never seen it listed in any of Mann's discographies; only in the past few days was I finally able to get a grip on where this one fits in to his sizable set list. As Dusty Groove sez below, this is a discographer's nightmare and they're also right about it being originally recorded under Machito's name. In each of its incarnations I've seen (the original Machito With Flute To Boot from 1958, Afro-Jazziac from 1963 and this Trip reissue from the early 70s) liner notes for band members are scarce, at best listing only Machito, Mann, Griffin and Fuller.

Can't confirm any liner notes on other issues of this killer Cuban jazz joint I've not personally viewed which are all lo-budget twofers packaged with Flute Fraternity: Garland's On The Prowl, Prestige's Afro-Jazziac Bop, Entertainer's Brazilian Soft Shoe and The Man from Drive Archive records (the latter being the only one which does not fully compile all tracks from both sets). It was also reissued in 1975 under its proper name (albeit credited to Herbie) by Trip's parent Springboard International. I've never seen a copy of that one either but I'm using that date in the info for this release out of convenience.

However, it can pretty much be taken for granted that preeminent percussionists Potato, Candido and Mangual were all on board since they were anchors of Machito's orchestra and appear on all of his gear around that year. I'd take a stab at some of the other members of the brass section but it was highly fluid at the time but there could be some carryover from Machito's previous record, the classic Kenya. However, chances are also pretty good that Mario Bauza was not involved on this particular outing since Herbie took over for Bauza's usual tasks with Machito on this set.

Although DG mentions Mann is only a soloist here, that's incorrect - all tracks were not only written by Herbie, they were arranged by him as well. According to the original notes on Flute To Boot, this marks the first time he had written arrangements for play by a big band. Although he was still an up 'n' comer when this was taped, anyone who thinks Mann's skills are suspect this regard oughtta check this killer collection of latin leg-burners and get themselves an edumacation.

While he takes a lot of heat from purists, this is only one other first in his long list of premier accomplishments. I won't bother rattling them off, if you're really interested in his stature as a groundbreaking jazz musician, check the links at the end of the discography below. In the meantime, listen to him blow!


Dusty Groove Review of Springboard's pressing of Flute To Boot

A great little LP -- even if it is a discographer's nightmare! The record was most likely recorded originally under Machito's name, and only featured Mann as a soloist -- but it's not the album Kenya, so we're not sure which one it is, although it does look like a repackaging job designed to cash in on Herbie's fame at other labels. Whatever the case, though, the record is a crack bit of New York Latin Jazz -- with loads of short driving tracks very much in the mood of Machito's Kenya album. Herbie's credited with writing all the numbers -- and titles include "Afternoon Death", "Brazilian Soft Shoe", "African Flute", "The Davis Cup", and "Carabunta". (Early 70s pressing.)

Herbie Mann - Flute
Machito - Maracas, Bandleader
Johnny Griffin - Tenor Sax
Curtis Fuller - Trombone
Carlos "Potato" Valdes - Congas
Candido Camera - Congas
José Mangual - Bongos


1 Brazilian Soft Shoe
2 Love Chant
3 Afro-Jazziac
4 Ring a Levio
5 Afternoon Death
6 To Birdland and Hurry
7 Calypso John
8 African Flute
9 Bacao
10 Carabunta
11 Davis Cup
12 Answer Me

Discography as Leader

1954 Herbie Mann Plays
1955 East Coast Jazz 4
1955 Flamingo My Goodness: Four Flutes Vol 2
1956 Love And The Weather
1956 The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet (aka The Man With The Most)
1956 Mann In The Morning
1957 The Jazz We Heard Last Summer
1957 Salute To The Flute
1957 Mann Alone
1957 Flute Suite (avail on The Modern Sounds of AK Salim: Complete Savoy Recordings 1957-1958)
1957 Sultry Serenade (aka When Lights Are Low) @ MUSICA DESDE LAS ANTIPODAS
1957 Great Ideas Of Western Mann (aka Californians)
1957 Yardbird Suite (aka Be Bop Synthesis)
1957 Flute Fraternity w/ Buddy Collette (aka Hi Flutin') (avail on Brazilian Soft Shoe & Afro-Jazziac Bop)
1957 Flute Soufflé w/ Bobby Jaspar @ MUSICA DESDE LAS ANTIPODAS
1957 Flute Flight w/ Bobby Jaspar @ MUSICA DESDE LAS ANTIPODAS
1957 The Magic Flute Of Herbie Mann
1957 The Great Mann
1958 Herbie Mann With The Wessell Licken Trio
1958 Just Wailin'
1959 African Suite
1959 Flautista!
1960 Flute, Brass, Vibes And Percussion
1960 The Common Ground
1961 Epitome Of Jazz
1961 The Family Of Mann
1961 Brasil, Bossa Nova & Blues (aka Sugarloaf / Brazil Blues)
1962 At The Village Gate
1962 Right Now
1962 This Is My Beloved
1962 St. Thomas
1962 Do The Bossa Nova @ MUSICA DESDE LAS ANTIPODAS
1963 Afro-Jazziac (aka Flute To Boot /Super Mann /On The Prowl + avail on Brazilian Soft Shoe & Afro-Jazziac Bop)
1963 Returns To The Village Gate
1963 Live At Newport MUSICA DESDE LAS ANTIPODAS
1964 Nirvana w/ Bill Evans Trio @ JAZZSI
1964 Latin Fever
1965 My Kinda Groove
1965 The Roar Of The Greasepaint The Smell Of The Crowd (avail on The Complete Latin Sessions)
1965 Latin Mann-From Afro To Bossa To Blues (aka Big Boss Mann @ Orgy In Rhythm) (avail on The Complete Latin Sessions)
1965 Recorded In Rio w/ Joao Gilberto & AC Jobim
1966 Standing Ovation At Newport (avail on The Complete Latin Sessions)
1966 New Mann At Newport
1966 Monday Night At The Village Gate (avail on The Complete Latin Sessions)
1966 Our Mann Flute
1966 Impressions Of The Middle East @ MUSICA DESDE LAS ANTIPODAS
1966 Today!
1967 The Beat Goes On
1967 Mann And A Woman w/ Tamiko Jones
1967 Glory Of Love
1967 The Wailing Dervishes
1968 The Herbie Mann String Album
1968 Free For All
1968 Concerto Grosso In D Blues
1968 Moody Mann
1969 Memphis Underground
1969 Windows Open
1969 Herbie Mann In Sweden
1969 Live At The Whiskey A Go Go at Happy as a fat rat + Flabbergasted Vibes
1969 Inspiration I Feel
1970 Stone Flute
1970 Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty
1971 Memphis Two-Step
1971 Push Push
1971 '71
1972 Mississippi Gambler
1973 London Underground
1973 Hold On I'm Coming
1973 Turtle Bay
1974 First Light: The Family of Mann
1974 Reggae w/ Tommy McCook @ Soundological
1974 Gagaku And Beyond
1975 Discotheque
1975 Waterbed @ Luz! Cámara! Música!
1976 Surprises w/ Cissy Houston
1976 Bird In A Silver Cage
1977 Fire Island
1978 Brazil - Once Again
1979 Sunbelt @ Slice of Spice
1979 Super Mann @ Dance 70 Countdown
1980 Yellow Fever
1981 Mellow
1983 Astral Island
1985 See Through Spirits
1987 Jasil Brazz
1989 Opalescence
1990 Caminho De Casa
1990 Two Amigos w/ Dave Valentin @ MUSICA DESDE LAS ANTIPODAS
1994 Deep Pocket
1995 Peace Pieces: The Music of Bill Evans
1995 65th Birthday Celebration: Live at the Blue Note
1998 America/Brasil
2000 Eastern European Roots
2002 My Little Suede Shoes
2003 Beyond Brooklyn w/ Phil Woods @ MUSICA DESDE LAS ANTIPODAS

Selected Compilations

1963 Sound Of Mann (Verve)
1966 Bongo Conga And Flute (Verve)
1966 Big Band Mann (Verve)
1970 The Best Of Herbie Mann (Atlantic)
1971 Tootsie (Atlantic)
1972 Et Tu Flute (Verve)
1973 The Evolution of Mann (Atlantic)
1973 Let Me Tell You (Milestone)
1976 Early Mann - The Bethlehem Years (Bethlehem)
1975 Star Collection (Warner/Midi)
1976 Herbie Mania (Atlantic)
1994 Copacabana (Saludos Amigos) @ Rare & Groove Jazz
1994 Verve Jazz Masters 56 (Verve) (Flautista! with a few other tracks)
2002 The Best Of The Atlantic Years (Collectables) (14 CD box set of 20 Atlantic LPs)
2007 Herbie Mann-Chick Corea: The Complete Latin Sessions (Gambit) (compiles Monday Night At The Village Gate, Standing Ovation at Newport, Latin Mann-Afro to Bossa to Blues & The Roar of the Greasepaint the Smell of the Crowd, bonus tracks include the latter LP w/o string overdubs)

Bootlegs & Misc

1969 Texas International Pop Festival Vol 12 (2 tracks w/ Sharrock, Vitous, Ayers & Carr) @ o novo e o velho via 8 Days In April
1970 "Miss Free Spirit" by Family of Mann at Montreaux 06-19



Discography info thanks to Jim Newson, AMG, Musica Desde Antipodas, Discogs, Both Sides Now & Wikipedia. Dates above are usually when the album was released but many are the year of recording. When an LP has been reissued under a different name, I've tried to indicate it as such. Mann's discography is a mess and varies from source to source so there is likely much I've missed, wrongly omitted or included in error. Any corrections, suggestions or links are always welcome!

PS - there's a massive torrent of 20 or so Mann LPs floating around as well as a bunch of single torrents upped by schon55. Note they are almost entirely from My Jazz World, Into The Rhythm & BeeQ posts plus a few from other blogs linked above.



Mann up with Soundological HERE or HERE.