Rokukai
An overlooked album in the Herbie Mann catalog, Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty is an essential collision of jazz and soul. A predestined match considering Mann's inquisitive pop spirit, The Muscle Shoals rhythm section plays the perfect foil for Herbie's aggressive flute attack. The horns roll, the piano rollicks, the bass bubbles--just like on the box set you can hear all of the hits they've played on.
In Addition to the Muscle Shoals rhythm section, you have two legendary members of Mann's band--Miroslav Vitous and Roy Ayers. This set oozes soul.
The music? Three Mann originals, one Sonny Sharrock cover, One Beatles cover, one Edwin Birdsong cover. a few up tempo groovers (the title track is a headbobbing stunner), a slow tune or two and the Beatles "Come Together" is played mid-tempo, sort of along the lines of the original. The original is one of my least favorite Beatles tracks, but I really like the jams on this one.
Back porch music personified.