Life [David "Fathead" Newman (Sax)] [CD]

1. Girl Talk
2. Life
3. Alfie
4. I Can't Get Started
5. Old Folks
6. Autumn in New York
7. Come Sunday
8. What a Wonderful World
9. Naima
Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): HCD-7166
Credits

Producer Houston Person; David Newman
Engineer Mitch Yuspeh; Ira Yuspeh
Personnel: David "Fathead" Newman (alto saxophone); Peter Bernstein (guitar); David Leonhardt (piano); Steve Nelson (vibraphone); John Menegon (bass instrument); Yoron Israel (drums).
The veteran saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman has been a major figure in jazz since the mid 1950s, also contributing to many of Ray Charles's recordings. In this set of mostly standards, Newman plays flute, as well as alto and tenor saxophone on intimate small-group arrangements of tunes including "Autumn in New York," "What a Wonderful World," and "I Can't Get Started." There's also a particularly poignant rendering of the title track, written by his friend and colleague, the late pianist John Hicks.
Critic Reviews

Down Beat (p.58) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Newman's effortless yet sparring blowing has the searching sonority of Sonny Stitt."
JazzTimes (p.122) - "On 'Naima,' which rides on an inviting drum groove, he shows that you don't have to imitate Coltrane to score spiritually on one of his tunes."