Album of the Day

The “anything goes” musical climate of the late 1960s opened a window of opportunity for jazz musicians, and few made better use of it than Herbie Mann. The Brooklyn-born flutist had been an early adopter of world music, and by the end of the decade he’d seen success incorporating R&B influences; WATERBED covers both of those bases, with songs by tango master Astor Piazzolla and Ray Charles as well as a couple of Mann originals. The 1975 Atlantic collection features superb instrumental work, with the headliner joined by saxophonist David Newman, guitarist Hugh McCracken and drummer Steve Gadd as well as vocalists including Cissy Houston (who’s particularly impressive on “Violet Don't Be Blue”). As Allmusic said of WATERBED, “it's one of the strongest commercial albums [Mann] recorded ... worth trying to find if you're a fan of 1970s soul/funk.”