Surprises (Herbie Mann album)

Surprises
Studio album by Herbie Mann
Released	1976
Recorded	1973-76 Dynamic Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, Mori Studios in Tokyo, Japan, Media Sound Studios in NYC and Atlantic Recording Studios in NYC
Genre	Jazz fusion, rhythm and blues
Length	39:44
Label	Atlantic SD 1682
Producer	Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann chronology
Waterbed (1975) Surprises (1976) Reggae II (1976)

Surprises is an album by jazz flautist Herbie Mann featuring singer Cissy Houston which was released on the Atlantic label in 1976.^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[3]

The Allmusic site awarded the album 3 stars.^[2]

Track listing

All compositions by Herbie Mann except as indicated

1. "Draw Your Breaks" (Derrick Harriott, David Scott) - 4:50
2. "Cajun Moon" (JJ Cale) - 6:17
3. "Creepin" (Stevie Wonder) - 5:00
4. "Easter Rising" (Pat Rebillot, Pat Kirby) - 4:40
5. "Asa Branca" (Luiz Gonzaga, Humberto Texeira, Luís Oliveira) - 3:55
6. "The Sound of Windwood" - 2:34
7. "Cricket Dance" - 4:17
8. "The Butterfly in a Stone Garden" - 5:19
9. "Anata (I Wish You Were Here with Me)" (Akiko Kosaka) - 3:07

Personnel

• Herbie Mann - flute
• Minoru Muraoka - shakuhachi (track 6)
• Yosei Sato - shō (tracks 6 & 8)
• David Newman - tenor saxophone (tracks 1-3)
• Pat Rebillot - keyboards
• Gladstone Anderson - piano (track 1)
• Winston Wright - organ (track 1)
• Hux Brown (track 1), Sam Brown (track 6), Rod Bryan (track 1), Jerry Friedman (tracks 2-4, 7 & 9), Bob Mann (track 3-5, 7 & 8), Hugh McCracken (track 2), Jeff Mironov (track 5) - guitar
• Eriko Kuramoto, Harumi Nakamura, Kazuko Tsubamoto - koto (tracks 6 & 8)
• Somei Sasaki - shamisen (tracks 6 & 8)
• Bob Babbitt (track 4), Jackie Jackson (track 1) Tony Levin (tracks 2, 3 & 5-9) - bass
• Steve Gadd (tracks 2, 3 & 6-9), Rick Marotta (tracks 4 & 5), Michael Richard (track 1) - drums
• Rafael Cruz (track 5), Sammy Figueroa (track 5), Armen Halburian (tracks 2-9), Ralph MacDonald (tracks 2 & 3) - percussion
• Seiko Fujisya, Kisuku Katada, Hiromitsu Katada - taiko (tracks 6 & 8)
• Cissy Houston (tracks 1-5), Akiko Kosaka (track 9) - vocals
• Eunice Peterson, Rannelle Braxton - backing vocals (track 1)
• David Nadien, Gene Orloff, Guy Lumia, Richard Sortomme - violin (track 4)
• Emanuel Vardi, Richard Maximoff - viola (track 4)
• Charles McCracken, Jesse Levy - cello (track 4)

Charting

The album peaked at #32 on the Billboard Jazz Album chart, #56 on the Billboard R&B Album chart, and #178 on the Billboard 200.

Liner notes

From the liner notes: "Cissy Houston. Only now is she beginning to emerge from her cocoon after so many years with the Drinkards and the Sweet Inspirations. Cissy...is showcased here like a star-in-waiting."

See also

• Herbie Mann discography

References

1. Atlantic Records Catalog: 1600 series accessed September 1, 2015
2. Allmusic listing accessed September 1, 2015
3. Swenson, J. (Editor) (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 130. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.

• Surprises, Herbie Mann. Atlantic Records SD 1682 (1976) (album cover and liner notes)

External links

• Surprises at Allmusic.com