Straight Ahead! (Junior Mance album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Straight Ahead!

| type = studio

| artist = Junior Mance with the Bob Bain Brass Ensemble

| cover = Straight Ahead! (Junior Mance album).jpg

| alt =

| released = 1964

| recorded = September 13, 14 & 15, 1964

| venue =

| studio = Capitol (Hollywood)

| genre = Jazz

| length = 28:14

| label = Capitol
T/ST 2218

| producer = David Cavanaugh

| chronology = Junior Mance

| prev_title = Get Ready, Set, Jump!!!

| prev_year = 1964

| next_title = That's Where It Is!

| next_year = 1965

}}

Straight Ahead! is an album by jazz pianist Junior Mance, recorded in 1964 and released on the Capitol label.[http://www.bsnpubs.com/capitol/previews/600-2999.pdf Discography Preview for the Capitol label Main Series 600-2999 (1955-1968)] accessed August 15, 2016[http://www.juniormance.com/Junior_Mance_Disco.pdf Junior Mance discography] accessed August 15, 2016

Reception

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = Allmusic

| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}

}}

The Allmusic reviewer Dave Nathan stated: "Combining Mance's natural blues-inflected piano with a big horn sound is a true aural treat. The result is a musical conversation with each side taking turns playing on or over the melody line. ... Usually a large-ensemble format doesn't allow for much diversion from the charts. Here it's clear that the band stayed with the charts, but Mance was allowed a good deal of leeway in his playing. He could respond to the call of the band as he saw fit. The result is a dynamic session combining the best of a disciplined brass assembly with the unfettered play of a top jazz improvisor".{{AllMusic|first=Dave |last=Nathan |class=album |id= mw0000905485 |title=Straight Ahead Review |accessdate=August 15, 2016}}

Track listing

  1. "In a Mellow Tone" (Duke Ellington, Milt Gabler) - 2:28
  2. "Hannah Strikes Again" (Hank Lentz) -1:45
  3. "Li'l Darlin'" (Neal Hefti) - 4:52
  4. "Diane" (Lew Pollack, Ernö Rapée) - 2:43
  5. "Happy Time" (Junior Mance) - 2:35
  6. "The Late, Late Show" (Roy Alfred, Murray Berlin) - 2:07
  7. "Fine Brown Frame" (Guadalupe Cartiero, J. Mayo Williams) - 2:08
  8. "Señor Mance" (Mance, Bob Bain) - 2:11
  9. "Stompin' at the Savoy" (Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Edgar Sampson, Andy Razaf) - 2:57
  10. "Trouble in Mind" (Richard M. Jones) - 2:18
  11. "The J. A. M. F." (Lentz) - 2:10

Personnel

References