Surprises (album)

Surprises is an album by jazz flautist Herbie Mann featuring singer Cissy Houston which was released on the Atlantic label in 1976.Atlantic Records Catalog: 1600 series accessed September 1, 2015

Reception

The Allmusic site awarded the album 3 stars.Allmusic listing accessed September 1, 2015

Track listing All compositions by Herbie Mann except as indicated "Draw Your Breaks" (Derrick Harriott, David Scott) – 4:50 "Cajun Moon" (JJ Cale) – 6:17 "Creepin" (Stevie Wonder) – 5:00 "Easter Rising" (Pat Rebillot, Pat Kirby) – 4:40 "Asa Branca" (Luiz Gonzaga, Humberto Teixeira, Divina Eulália Oliveira) – 3:55 "The Sound of Windwood" – 2:34 "Cricket Dance" – 4:17 "The Butterfly in a Stone Garden" – 5:19 "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 "Fathead" 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), Radcliffe "Dougie" 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 Nakamaru, 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 Richards (track 1) – drums Raphael Cruz (track 5), Sammy Figueroa (track 5), Armen Halburian (tracks 2–9), Ralph MacDonald (tracks 2 & 3) – percussion Seiko Fujisya, Kisaku 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)

Charts Chart (1976)PeakpositionUS Billboard Top LPs178US Billboard Top Soul LPs56US Billboard Top Jazz Albums32

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."

Surprises (album)

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