"THE LEGEND!"

"Absolutely unbelievable!"

"Fantastic!"

Those were just a few of the comments made as Herbie Mann played his heart out at JazzMania '97.

Few musicians have been as successful as Flutist Herbie Mann in introducing the rhythms and harmonies of diverse cultures-- Latin American, African, Reggae, Southern blues, Middle Eastern and Brazilian -- into mainstream American Music.

"If I'm moved to explore a certain music, I've always believed that the more musicians I could find who played that music naturally, the better the project would be," says Mann.

That inspiration led Mann to Memphis in 1968 to record his ground-breaking excursion into Southern R&B, Memphis Underground. The record featured the same rhythm section that had played with R&B legends Otis Redding and Sam & Dave, and it was a huge critical and commercial success. Four years later, Mann returned to Southern rhythms with equally influential -- and successful -- Push, Push. The record featured Duanne Allman (in his last recording session before his death), Chuck Rainey, Cornell Dupree and Richard Tee.

Now, Memphis Underground and Push, Push serve as touchstones for Herbie Mann, a soulful celebration of jazz, fusion, gospel and R&B, featuring a powerful ensemble of veteran musicians, many of whom played with Mann on the earlier recordings.

Herbie Mann ...       "Awesome!"