Memphis Underground

Herbie Mann | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B000002I5L
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,993 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Remastered digipak reissue of 1969 album. A seminal figure in the New York Jazz scene of the 1960's and 1970's, the flautist's quest for authenticity led him to many corners of the musical world. Recorded in Memphis, with Roy Ayers, the young vibraphonist who would make his own mark of the jazz-funk landscape in the 70's with Ubiquity, Larry Corryell and Sonny Sharrock, two outstanding rock-inclined guitarists, and backed by the Memphis Rhythm Section, this album sounds soulful to the core. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not As Simple As It First Seems, January 11, 2006

By 

a consumer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memphis Underground (Audio CD)

OK, let's get the simple part out of way first--this is a well-made late '60's jazz-pop album played by solid musicians and the title track is infectious and bears repeated listenings. I think that Mann is not an all-time great flute player, but he is a very good one and he's at his best when he gets to work in an easy, lazy groove, like the title cut or "Chain of Fools": he has a nice languid style on those cuts that brings out the essence of the tunes. I'm not that wild about his "Battle Hymn of the Republic", which seems like a pretty corny concept, and the problem is that the album is only 35 minutes long to begin with, so cut out that tune and you're left with 28 minutes. Seems like Rhino could have reissued this on a disc with another of Mann's albums, like they've done with reissues of other Atlantic stuff like Charles Lloyd.

Anyway, that being said, there are some truly unusual things going on in this album. Mann used to get a bad rap for being too pop, too "commercial", and admittedly he can tend to play with a pretty light touch, at least when compared to, say, Roland Kirk. But when he wanted to do this jazz-rock album, he teamed up with a fairly gritty bunch of guys, i.e. the Stax studio hounds, rather than a line-up of the usual jazz studios wizards. This contrast would be unusual enough, but then Mann brought along Sonny Sharrock, one of the most aggressive, "out-there" guitarists around, and let him rip on "Hold On, I'm Comin'". (The song also has Miroslav Vitous, another avant-gardist who was soon playing with Weather Report, on bass.) The Stax guys, who started the song sounding so funky and gritty, wind up sounding like Boy Scouts when Sharrock starts his strafe-and-destroy feedback solo. All this arranged by a flute player who was thought of as "light" and "commercial". You start to wonder what darkness lurked in the heart of Mann. It's worth getting this album just for this outrageous musical moment.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Listening for 25 years and still love it, April 18, 2003

By 

Robert E Boylan (Woodstock, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memphis Underground (Audio CD)

I first got this on vinyl in the mid 70's and was blown away by the jazz rock sound the band put down. The title tune,Memphis Underground, is still on of my favorite songs and I have been listening to it for 25 years. Possibly the best driving song ever. The rest of the album is very good too. Lots of R&B feel and some wonderous jazz riffs. The guitar and vibe sound great with Manns flute, and the rhythm section is rock solid. I replaced the old vinyl album with a cd and if I lost it, I would buy another in a minute. A listening treat.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In your face, no apologies Jazz, January 28, 2003

By 

thejazzdoctor "thejazzdoctor" (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memphis Underground (Audio CD)

Okay, I admit it upfront: I am a Herbie Mann fan, and this CD captures the essence of what he was doing at the very end of the 60's.

The musical style is very R&B focused, and the band provides a gritty, chunky foundation for the solos of Mann, Ayers (vibes), Coryell (guitar) and Sharrok (guitar). The recording leaves a little to be desired, but the playing is outstanding. Mann's playing is strong, and the rhythm section captures the overall feel of the time, with strong bass/rhythm lines that sit in groove all day long. The sound is somewhat dated, but to me it's *history* - an important part of the jazz tradition. Regardless, the album certainly has something to say to today's listener.

Overall, think Steppenwolf with a rocking flute over the top. Buy it.