During the 1990s, veteran pianist Junior Mance led a variety of small ensembles—some featuring horns, many without. Among the latter was an acoustic piano trio with Keter Betts on upright bass and Jackie Williams on drums. In April 1994, the trio—later known as the Floating Jazz Trio—came together for live performances aboard a Caribbean cruise ship. The following month, Chiaroscuro arranged a studio date at Rudy Van Gelder’s renowned New Jersey studio, and Blue Mance emerged from that session.

Produced by Hank O’Neal, the album finds Mance and his colleagues in top form on familiar standards such as “Falling in Love With Love,” “Teach Me Tonight,” and Johnny Mandel’s “Emily,” along with several lesser-known treasures. Duke Ellington’s “Shepherd of the Night Flock,” rarely performed, benefits from the trio’s engaging interpretation and serves as a reminder of the riches within Ellington’s catalog beyond the usual fare. The group also revisits Billy Taylor’s gospel-tinged “I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel to Be Free),” a natural fit for Mance’s bluesy, church-inflected style. Betts and Williams share a strong rapport with the pianist throughout, making this a consistently rewarding session.

Track Listing

Falling In Love With Love
Headstart
Emily
Teach Me Tonight
Blue Monk
Blue Mance
Sheperd Of The Night Flock
If I Had You
I Wish I Knew How It Felt To Be Free
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