The Soulful Piano Of Junior Mance

Junior Mance is one of those players who truly has been underated through the years.  People commonly make the mistake of confusing underated with underexposed - there is a huge difference.  Mance has had quite an incredible career, playing with some of jazzes elite, yet his skill as a player has always been overlooked.

As a fan of the Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis & Johnny Griffin quintet, I can tell you that the main ingredient of their sound was Mance's soulful and groovy playing.  No matter what gets thrown at him, JM has the ability to filter it and give us something that is undeniably rhythmic.

This was his first trio album for the Jazzland label, and a really nice showcase of tunes.  Mance strings a wonderfully upbeat theme throughout, and we get that classic groove which is so representative of the early 60's.  There is a real potpourri of songs on 'Soulful Piano' - gospel, blues, pop and jazz standards.  This combined with Junior Mance's inimitable style, keeps the entire side fresh and interesting.  Thomas and Tucker blend in perfectly and give the support needed to help Mance shine.

This was ripped from a NM record.  Only a handful of blemishes are audible, and the tonal quality is superb.  Ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC... enjoy!!!