JAZZ REVIEW : HERBIE MANN PRESENTS HIS NEW MUSICAL GROUP

Herbie Mann calls his new group Jazil Brazz, with the transposition of opening letters only mildly disguising the reference to jazz and Brazil. But the truth is that the veteran flutist’s fascination with the samba-based rhythms of South America’s sleeping giant dates as far back as the early ‘60s.

Thursday night at the Palace, Mann seemed determined to revive and build upon that fascination by surrounding himself with an almost seamless structure of bossa nova, salsa, samba and other unnamed Latin music forms.

A good idea in principle, it didn’t always work in practice. Backed by a six-piece group described as the Brazil Experience, featuring David (Fathead) Newman and Claudio Roditi, Mann spent most of the evening playing fluttery curlicues and flourishes over a relentless wave of rhythm that was only occasionally interrupted by equally interminable-sounding cadenzas.

Mann has been justifiably praised for his career-long dedication to making the flute a credible jazz voice. But, for this performance, at least, he produced neither the dynamic range nor the emotional contrast needed to push the instrument’s mono-timbral voice up and out of the surrounding caldron of sound.

Tenor saxophonist (and flutist) Newman, an associate of Mann’s in an earlier group called The Family of Mann, managed a few impressive solos--especially on “Heads Up” and the somewhat out-of-sync “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” His rich, magisterial sound and hard-bitten articulation provided the only really effective counter to the omnipresent Latin rhythms.

Kenia, a Brazilian-American singer with impressive musical skills and virtually nonexistent stage presence, opened the show.