Album of the Day

Herbie Mann was a leading jazz flutist. Composer-keyboardist Bill Evans was renowned for his work with Miles Davis. When the two joined forces, the result was NIRVANA. Also featuring Paul Motian on drums and new Evans Trio addition Chuck Israels on bass, the 1964 Atlantic album is drawn from sessions for producer Nesuhi Ertegun in 1961 and 1962 yet remains remarkably cohesive; Evans had played the flute before taking up piano, paving the way for a pairing with Mann. Bookended by originals (the title song and “Cashmere”), these six tracks bring both bop excitement and lyrical beauty to standards like Cole Porter's “I Love You” and more experimental fare like Erik Satie's “Gymnopedie.” An unusually effective artistic collaboration, NIRVANA deserves a higher profile among jazz fans.