Herbie Mann, Cissy Houston – Surprises (VG+/VG+) – LP, AU 1976

Surprises is an LP by Herbie Mann, Cissy Houston from 1976 released on the Atlantic label.

About this album

Surprises is a winning soul-jazz collaboration that brings Herbie Mann’s bright, lyrical flute into dialogue with Cissy Houston’s rich, expressive voice. Issued in 1976, the album reflects Mann’s knack for folding pop, soul and Latin colour into jazz without losing melodic directness, while Houston gives the material real emotional weight. The pairing is unusual but effective: Mann’s supple lines and the rhythm section’s easy pulse frame a set that moves between reflective ballads and groove-led cuts. For Mann, it sits comfortably within his adventurous 1970s output; for Houston, it shows the reach of one of the era’s most commanding R&B singers.