Beyond Brooklyn
Dedicated to the spirit and music of flutist Herbie Mann, who died in 2003,Beyond Brooklyndocuments a meeting of Mann and alto saxophonist Phil Woods more than 50 years after they first played together at Tony's Bar in Brooklyn in 1951. It's a joyous reunion, with the pair touching on classic bases in the jazz repertoire, includingOscar Pettiford's "Bohemia After Dark," a tune they played when they first met, andCharlie Parker's "Au Privave." Both mellowed through the years, with Mann's flute growing more lyrical and less piping and Woods's alto becoming warmer, less driven, and less intense. The results are consistently engaging, a deeply involving dialogue on a half-century of jazz experience. It's a CD of exalted moments: Mann is wonderfully airy onRandy Weston's "Little Niles," Woods sweetly liquid on clarinet onDuke Ellington's "Azure" and lush yet keening on Billy Strayhorn's "Blood Count." They're complemented throughout by fine support that includes trombonist Jay Ashby and pianist Alain Mallet.--Stuart Broomer