The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby

AMG Review of The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby

Al Campbell
All Music Guide

This budget two-fer from the Jazz Collectables label teams up a pair of separate Atlantic recordings from jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby and pianist Junior Mance. On the 1965 release The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby, the harpist is joined by bassist Richard Davis, drummer Grady Tate, percussionist Willie Bobo, and a sporadic horn section on four Ashby originals and six standards. The four lengthy tracks that make up Live at the Top were recorded in 1968 featuring Mance at the piano with bassist Wilbur Little, drummer Rudy Collins, and guest David "Fathead" Newman, who plays flute on "That's All" and tenor sax on his composition "Turning Point." These albums are optional to aficionados but definitely not a good place to start with either of these artists.