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Sam Most, From the Attic of My Mind (Elemental/Xanadu)
There were flutists in jazz before Sam Most (1930-2013), but not many. He was the first to bring bebop to the instrument. His 1953 recording of “Undercurrent Blues†had a profound impact on virtually every flutist who followed him, including Herbie Mann, Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef, Hubert Laws and James Moody. Most made this album for Xanadu during a late 1970s resurgence. It finds him at a peak of expressiveness. The richness of his tone, the power of his swing and his bone-deep bluesiness are irresistible. Pianist Kenny Barron, bassist George Mraz and drummer Walter Bolden are in flawless synch with Most and with one another. From the Attic of My Mind is one of a half-dozen Xanadu reissues in a projected series of 25. Others feature Jimmy Rowles, Al Cohn, Barry Harris, Jimmy Heath and Albert Heath.