Customer Reviews

At the Village Gate

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is some of Herbie Mann's best work. There is none of the "cheesy" feel Herbie often has, but rather, this album is pure brilliance. (Check out the one-note solo in "comin' home baby") I have never played At The Village Gate for anyone who didn't immediately love it. It is my default gift for any person, any occasion. A lesser-known band, but nonetheless creative, exciting, and above all, TIGHT! (listen to Vibist Hagood Hardy mumbling along with his solos) Bottom line: you will love this disc.

The first few measures immediately set the tone for the entire set: the bass -solo- for a good 24 to 32 beats, the same chord syncopated. The most sublime funk; then the flute is there, before you even know it. It captures your mind, and focuses your intensity, then pushes you back out to a distant observer.

And that's just the beginning.

this really is one of the coolest jazz albums i've ever heard. very deep, hypnotic and atmospheric. the vibe reminds me of some of the best stuff by the modern jazz quartet, but with a million times more soul. there are fantastic solos here too, but they never feel forced and the intensity remains strong throughout. dripping with funk, the album transports you to that quintessential smoky jazz club in the sky. go there!

I first head this album over 20 years ago. I purchased it then and recently purchased the CD. It has a intoxicating rythm and is very easy to listen to. Friends who are not into Jazz like this sound. As a Jazz fan I consider it one of my top 40 albums.

With this album, Herbie Mann successfully opened the doors to contemporary "groove jazz" and the joys it holds. Also: very rare. The internet is the only place I've ever found it.

In my mind there are 3 classic jazz albums from the 60s and 70s - Brubeck's Take 5, Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, and this album. If you don't have it, get it.

Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is widely regarded as the best jazz album ever recorded. Herbie Mann's At the Village Gate may well be the category of best, too. Every track on here is wonderful and different and creative. For instance, Comin' Home Baby starts with this somewhat long opening session of the bass soon accompanied by drums. Then, in comes this playful, flirting flute, not trying to make a splash, just swinging, restrained, cool. The flute quickly moves to the front and establishes a memorable, foot-tapping theme. A little later still arrives the xylophone in the background. So beautifully and subtly executed. And oh, much later, near the middle-end, you have this breath-taking and intricate bass solo. Wow. They were taking no prisoners. Summertime opens with xylophones then moves to a rhythmic and cool theme. With congas, it has an almost breezy, Latin-jazz feel. It Ain't Necessarily So starts with the tambourines and a more passionate, yet still restrained 60s protest-, psychedelic- sound. (The album was recorded in 1964.) The most interesting thing about this last track, aside from the lovely theme, is its length--nearly 20 minutes. What makes this album unique and perhaps surpassing Kind of Blue is it was recorded before a live audience. Davis said somewhere that he had (finally) settled on Kind of Blue on the day the Davis quartet created it for studio performance. It was as close as he could get to improvisational which Davis did not like necessarily for that reason. It wasn't improv-enough. At the Village Gate, however, you hear people talking, responding, and humming in the background. This "noise" adds an extra dimension of realness, of being front-row in the swing, which is jazz at its best.

The sound quality is not great, but not terrible. A treasure of jazz flute and of Herbie Mann. A snapshot of live and intimate jazz club music.

One of the very best swinging jazz albums of all time - too bad it was never remastered for the CD format. Lots of tape hiss at high volume levels of play.

I especially like the solos on It Ain't Necessarily So.
The energy comes through-- definitely so!