Herbie Mann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Herbie Mann
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Mann c. 1980
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Herbert Jay Solomon |
| Born | April 16, 1930 Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Died | July 1, 2003 (aged 73) Pecos, New Mexico, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, bossa nova, disco, world music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record label executive |
| Instruments | Flute, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet |
| Years active | 1953–2003 |
| Labels | Atlantic, Cotillion, Embryo, Kokopelli |
| Associated acts | Antônio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, Whitney Houston, Cissy Houston |
Herbert Jay Solomon (born April 16, 1930 – died July 1, 2003), known as Herbie Mann, was a famous American jazz flute player. He was one of the first musicians to mix jazz with sounds from different cultures, which is now called world music. While he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet, he became best known for his flute playing. His most popular song was "Hijack", which became a top dance hit in 1975.
Herbie Mann loved music that had a strong, steady beat, often called a "groove". He believed that albums like Memphis Underground and Push Push were perfect examples of this. On these records, all the instruments worked together to create a rhythm that felt completely connected.
Contents
Herbie Mann's Life and Music
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Herbie Mann was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, Harry and Ruth, were dancers and singers, and they also taught dance. Herbie went to Lincoln High School. He started performing professionally at just 15 years old in the Catskills resorts. In the 1950s, he played bop jazz on the flute, often with other musicians like Phil Woods. He sometimes played the bass clarinet and tenor saxophone too.
Pioneering World Music in Jazz
Herbie Mann was a true pioneer in combining jazz with world music. After a trip to Africa in 1959, he recorded Flautista!, an album that blended jazz with Afro-Cuban rhythms. In 1961, he visited Brazil. When he returned to the United States, he recorded with Brazilian musicians like Antônio Carlos Jobim and Baden Powell. These albums helped make bossa nova music popular in the US and Europe. He often used Brazilian themes in his songs. In the mid-1960s, a young Chick Corea played in some of Herbie Mann's bands.
Success and New Sounds
After his successful 1969 album Memphis Underground, Herbie Mann continued to explore new sounds. He made many records that mixed jazz with Southern soul, blues rock, reggae, funk, and disco. Some jazz fans didn't like these changes, but it helped Mann stay popular when interest in traditional jazz was decreasing. He worked with many famous musicians, including singer Cissy Houston (who was Whitney Houston's mother), guitarists Duane Allman and Larry Coryell, and drummers Al Jackson, Jr. and Bernard Purdie. Herbie Mann had many pop hits, which was unusual for a jazz musician. He had at least 25 albums that appeared on the Billboard 200 pop charts.
Record Labels and Collaborations
In the early 1970s, Herbie Mann started his own record label called Embryo Records. This label released jazz albums by artists like Ron Carter and Miroslav Vitous. It also put out rock-influenced music. Later, he created another label called Kokopelli Records. In 1996, Mann worked with the band Stereolab on a song for an album called Red Hot + Rio, which raised money for AIDS research. He also played flutes on the Bee Gees' album Spirits Having Flown.
Later Years and Legacy
Herbie Mann's last public performance was on May 3, 2003, at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. He passed away less than two months later, on July 1, 2003, at age 73, after a long illness. He died at his home in Pecos, New Mexico, and was survived by his wife, Susan, and his four children.
Many people now see Herbie Mann as a true innovator in music. Some critics have compared his musical journey to that of Miles Davis. Herbie Mann was promoting Brazilian music even before Stan Getz, and he was mixing jazz with soul and rock music when Miles Davis was doing similar things. He was also an early supporter of world music. While Miles Davis was often praised as a visionary, Herbie Mann was sometimes seen as just trying to be popular. However, many now agree that he was a very important and forward-thinking musician.
Discography
Images for kids
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Herbie Mann and Will Lee (1975)
See also
In Spanish: Herbie Mann para niños
