ABSTRACT
American jazz flutist, born Herbert Jay Solomon in New York. He studied at the Manhattan School of Music and performed with major symphony orchestras. He made popular records in 1968 “Unchain My Heart” (A&M #896) and 1969 “Memphis Underground” (Atlantic #2621), then was less prominent until the mid-1970s. The single “Hi Jack” (Atlantic #3246; 1975) was on the charts 14 weeks. Mann had four chart albums between 1975 and 1979, and another with Fire Island. Discotheque was the album with the longest chart life, 17 weeks. Mann left Atlantic at the end of the 1970s. Although he never equaled his chart success of the 1970s, he returned to playing jazz in the 1980s and recorded and performed until a few months before his death. He also ran his own label, Kokopelli, from 1988-1990, and then during the later 1990s Lightyear/Herbie Mann Music. Mann’s last album, released in 2000, drew on traditional eastern European melodies; he said he made it to acknowledge his Jewish background. Mann died in Pecos, New Mexico, of prostate cancer.
