JazzTimes - 6/97, p.108
"...Mann is in sunny form throughout. He paces himself well, doesn't get rattled when superior technicians arrive and doesn't leave any loose ends....The music sounds well rehearsed....This is certainly a fitting tribute to and from Mann."
Full title: 65th Birthday Celebration: Live At The Blue Note In New York City.
Recorded live at the Blue Note, New York, New York in April 1995.
To celebrate his 65th birthday, the influential flutist Herbie Mann played for a week at the Blue Note in New York, along with some of his favorite musicians. Among the many guests on this CD are such notables as trumpeters Claudio Roditi and Randy Brecker, altoists David "Fathead" Newman, Paquito D'Rivera and Bobby Watson, fellow flutist Dave Valentin, Tito Puente on timbales and several rhythm sections. Alternating between Brazilian music, vintage funk jazz (such as "Memphis Underground"), a catchy boogaloo blues ("Dippermouth") and a few straight-ahead tracks ("Au Privave" and "Jeep's Blues"), the flutist sounds as if he had a great time. The diverse music is consistently infectious and joyful, with all eight selections well worth hearing. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow
