By 1961, flutist
Herbie Mann was really starting to catch on with the general public. This release, a follow-up to his hit
At the Village Gate (two songs are from the same gig while three others actually date from seven months earlier), features
Mann in an ideal group with either
Hagood Hardy or
Dave Pike on vibes,
Ahmed Abdul-Malik or
Nabil Totah on bass, drummer
Rudy Collins and two percussionists.
Mann really cooks on four of his own originals, plus "Bags' Groove," blending in the influence of African, Afro-Cuban and even Brazilian jazz. Worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow