Customer Reviews

Heavy Flute: Funky Flute Grooves From the 60s and 70s

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"Comin' Home Baby" arrives as a soulful strut with a sweet melody doubled on flute and vibraharp. Herbie Mann gets loose, tickling the cosmos, and laying claim to his rep as the funkiest of the flute purveyors.

David "Fathead" Newman, yes, The King of the Texas Tenors, lays down the horn without surrendering to sentiment, proving it ain't about bad luck on "The Thirteenth Floor."

Dr. Yusef Lateef, the Godfather of the Eastern sound, paints the aural portrait of an African Goddess, "Nubian Lady." He returns on cut nine, dark and hypnotic, perhaps restating this affection with "Eboness."

Former Jazz Crusader Hubert Laws does the Latin flute swing with "Let Her Go."

And then came Rah, as mighty as the sheer will of nature when there "Ain't No Sunshine." And then again, "One Ton" of pure manic soul, huffing, puffing, stomping and squawking.

A dusty groove for sure, "The Wiggler" couldn't be titled better. The little known Leo Wright and his slippery riffs abetted by Kenny Burrell's dead-on-it rhythm guitar.

Next comes the shining spirit of brother Charles Lloyd, the man who shook them San Francisco kids to their psychedelic souls. Maracas shaking; Keith Jarrett funky as ever; Cecil McBee ever so steady; Jack DeJohnette and his deep ol' pocket; Lloyd's flute soaring like a bird in flight. You never knew "Sombrero Sam" had it in him.

In his rightful place, at both the beginning and end of anything that can be said about flute and funk co-existing, Herbie Mann sends us off with a "Push, Push."

Those who think the flute is not a jazz instrument or that it can only be used in "cool jazz" combos, all I can say is "HA!" You haven't heard Yusef Lateef or Rahsaan Roland Kirk, or Herbie Mann. Heavy flute will just blow you away. I bought this CD for my son, a budding flute player and can't stop playing it myself. Kirk's "Ain't No Sunshine" is as full of grief and blues as music comes. Charles Lloyd just burns things up on "Sombrero Sam" and Herbie Mann's "Push Push," which closes the whole thing out is without a doubt one of the hottest jazz tracks ever recorded. This is a gotta have CD for jazz fans -- there's never been flute like this. And if you've got to have it cool, try Milt Jackson's "Opus de Jazz." It just doesn't get much cooler than Bags' vibes and Frank Wess' flute. What a contrast with Heavy Flute. Go for it.

Loved this album; reminded me of Ian Anderson on a Tull live album. Your money's worth. All pieces are excellent.

This collection covers it all. Okay, maybe not all, but there is a hell of a range here. If you ever wondered whether the jazz flute could do anything more for you than help pass the time from the produce section to the meat section or from floor one to floor five, this is where you must settle that question. From the funy-groovy Herbie Mann to the Do not go gentle into that goodnight Roland Kirk in hi "One Ton", the answer is clear,; the flute is among the elite of jazz instruments

Several of these tracks have been heard before, but to have the 'Classics' all at your fingertips makes the BIG difference here! Want to have one of those gathering of friends with Wine, Cheese, etc., 'Pop' this Disc in, and the let it run! Within 16 (Sixteen) minutes somebody will be saying "I remember that!", "Who is that?, and the famous line "Can I see that". They will be surprised when they find out it's not a whole lot of these floating around, so in closing I'll say it again....GRAB IT! For an Added Plus, Herbie Mann starts the Disc...Herbie Mann ends the disc! For the youngsters calling themselves a Disc Jockey, if you don't have this in your collection, you're probley gonna miss out on getting tips (money) from the older crowd...This is one of those Compact Disc you'd want to play while you're setting up or for the first half hour (Especially) if it's at a Dinner, 50+ Birthday, Anniversay or a Social Event. STOP READING AND BUY THIS!!!

I've always wanted a jazz flute compilation like this. Its full of interesting, funky, jazzy flute workouts (as you'd expect), one of which I was pleased with was "The 13th Floor" by David "Fathead" Newman, a multi reedist who I've never heard of, along with another sax/flautist called Leo Wright. Its all great stuff this!

Herbie Mann and Roland Kirk appear twice which is good as they're two of the most famous jazz-flautists. "One Ton" by Kirk has got the most hilarious flute/nose flute solo I've ever heard.

Really, the flute has to be the coolest instrument in the world when put into the right musical context and I think here is a good example of what can be achieved when said theory is put into practise. Perfect for groovy evenings or cruising in your 70s Cadillac Eldorado.