Description

Author: Cary Ginell
Format: Softcover
Version: Biographical Text
More than any other musician, Herbie Mann was responsible for establishing the flute as an accepted jazz instrument. Prior to his arrival, the flute was a secondary instrument for saxophonists, but Mann found a unique voice for the flute, presenting it in different musical contexts, beginning with Afro-Cuban, and then continuing with music from Brazil, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Japan, and Eastern Europe. As Mann once said, « People would say to me, ‘I don’t know where you are right now,’ and I would respond, ‘And you’re not going to know where I’m going to be tomorrow.' »
A self-described restless spirit, Herbie Mann also was a master at marketing himself. His insatiable curiosity about the world led him to experiment with different kinds of sounds, becoming a virtual Pied Piper of jazz. He attracted thousands to his concerts while alienating purists and critics alike.
His career lasted for five decades, from his beginnings in a tiny Brooklyn nightclub to appearances on international stages. « I want to be as synonymous with the flute as Benny Goodman is for the clarinet, » he was fond of saying. By the time he died of prostate cancer in 2003, he had fulfilled his desire.