Herbie Mann (and other jazz flute) recs, anyone?

[JSngry]

I've not yet heard a Sam Most record that got to me at any level.

Seconds for James Newtron!

And there are some Hubert Laws solos that are exceptional in every regard - and many more that are a total not that. But the guy can play and think at the same time more than most. Too bad about that not happening as often as I would have like, but oh well about that, Not my place to tell a true virtuoso what to do with it, that's his place and his job.

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, Larry Kart said:

Any thoughts about Sam Most? I like the way he played on his Xanadu albums.

I'm Nuts ... on Bethlehem is one of my favourite jazz flute albums. 

Terrible title and terrible artwork, but a great flute album. 

[jazzbo]

I like the Most albums on Bethlehem, including the one with Mann. This is a label I like more and more as I listen to the releases. I'm glad I grabbed almost every Solid Records Japan issue as they came out.

[sgcim]

3 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

I agree on Strozier and Jaspar. Any thoughts about Sam Most? I like the way he played on his Xanadu albums.

I used to like him, but then I saw that documentary they made about him, and his sound was so small outside of the studio, he might as well have been whistling! It ruined me for ever listening to him again. His ideas are great, but I thought I was hearing things when he played in the doc. Maybe it was due to age.

He's the complete opposite of his brother Abe, the clarinetist. Abe was such a great clarinetist, he could play with anyone.

[felser]

I'll add another vote for Nicole Mitchell.

[HutchFan]

James Moody!

My favorite mostly-flute Moody record:

Heritage Hum (Perception, 1972)

So soulful.

[BFrank]

Multi-instrumentalist Henry Threadgill works flute into a lot of his compositions

[sonnymax]

[Rabshakeh]

7 minutes ago, sonnymax said:

What an album cover. One I shall never be able to unsee.

I can't believe I hadn't thought of Lew T in the context of this thread. He always gets lost in the shuffle. What a great player.

[Daniel A]

I can get back with better flute recommendations later, but the worst flute cover that I would gladly unsee, if possible, is this:

 

 

[JSngry]

and that's not too bad of an album, actually. At least for that type of thing.

[Rabshakeh]

36 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

I can get back with better flute recommendations later, but the worst flute cover that I would gladly unsee, if possible, is this:

I know I know. It's the vague dusting of hair that's the worst bit. 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Rabshakeh

[Big Beat Steve]

A document of its time.

They did all sort of garish things in these 70s.

[Larry Kart]

18 hours ago, sgcim said:

I used to like him, but then I saw that documentary they made about him, and his sound was so small outside of the studio, he might as well have been whistling! It ruined me for ever listening to him again. His ideas are great, but I thought I was hearing things when he played in the doc. Maybe it was due to age.

He's the complete opposite of his brother Abe, the clarinetist. Abe was such a great clarinetist, he could play with anyone.

Not being a flutist I can't say for sure, but I think that in some way and to some degree -- and I'm going by the Xanadu recordings, which are different from and IMO superior to his Bethlehem recordings --Sam did semi-whistle as well as well as play the instrument in the normal manner. For a while this bothered/flustered me a bit, but then I decided that the degree of articulation he achieved and the ideas  he was then able to realize made that semi-whistling approach worthwhile.

[sgcim]

3 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Not being a flutist I can't say for sure, but I think that in some way and to some degree -- and I'm going by the Xanadu recordings, which are different from and IMO superior to his Bethlehem recordings --Sam did semi-whistle as well as well as play the instrument in the normal manner. For a while this bothered/flustered me a bit, but then I decided that the degree of articulation he achieved and the ideas  he was then able to realize made that semi-whistling approach worthwhile.

I don't know why it was done that way, but he whistled/played the flute throughout the entire documentary. Great lines, though.

[Dub Modal]

Frank Wess is a badass flautist and this album has some nice cuts of him demonstrating that. 

[Guy Berger]

On 12/8/2020 at 10:15 PM, BFrank said:

Multi-instrumentalist Henry Threadgill works flute into a lot of his compositions

I love Henry's flute playing.

Also, can't say enough good things about James Newton.  His presence is often a key reason to pick up any album

[Rooster_Ties]

My favorite ‘modern’ flute player would have to be Gary Thomas — though I don’t think I’ve ever heard more than 2 tunes with flute on any of his albums or sideman appearances (98% of the rest of the time he plays tenor, and very occasionally soprano).

Gary has the distinction of being the only flute/reeds doubler I’ve ever heard, where I can specifically hear a lot of similarities in both his flute and tenor playing (specifically in his rhythmic approach, and dark tone).

Fun fact: when I complimented his flute playing the very first time I heard Gary live — backstage after seeing him in Herbie Hancock’s band, circa 2006 — he said he actually started(!) as a flute player, and only moved late to tenor.

I’d buy an all-flute Gary Thomas date in a heartbeat. Here’s a random example from YouTube (not a lot of his albums are there, so I’m not even gonna try and look for specific cuts - this is just the first one I found).

Found a couple more good examples of Gary on flute...

 

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by Rooster_Ties

[clifford_thornton]

 

[Guy Berger]

Also, I like Charles Lloyd's flute playing, but I might be in a minority

[mjazzg]

6 minutes ago, Guy Berger said:

Also, I like Charles Lloyd's flute playing, but I might be in a minority

 

6 minutes ago, Guy Berger said:

Also, I like Charles Lloyd's flute playing, but I might be in a minority

 

6 minutes ago, Guy Berger said:

Also, I like Charles Lloyd's flute playing, but I might be in a minority

I'm very happy to join you in that minority

[Peter Friedman]

These Two Sam Most CDs on Xanadu are big favorites of mine. He is what I would refer to as a real bebop flute player.

Though I like on flute Bobby Jaspar, Frank Wess, James Moody, Yusef Lateef and (some of ) Roland Kirk, (some of) Herbie Mann I find Sam Most to be my favorite.

[jazzbo]

I like Mr. Most a lot as well.

[JSngry]

hey, i like them Soul Flutes!

 

[Daniel A]

On 2021-03-09 at 8:36 PM, clifford_thornton said:

 

Yes, the Steig album is fine. And make sure to get the excellent reissue by Jonathan Horwich which contains extra material:

https://www.discogs.com/Jeremy-Steig-Flute-Fever/release/7341772