Straight Ahead! (Junior Mance album)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]

The Allmusic site awarded the album 4 stars, with reviewer Dave Nathan stating, "Combining Mance's natural blues-inflected piano with a big horn sound is a true aural treat. The result is a musical conversation with each side taking turns playing on or over the melody line. ... Usually a large-ensemble format doesn't allow for much diversion from the charts. Here it's clear that the band stayed with the charts, but Mance was allowed a good deal of leeway in his playing. He could respond to the call of the band as he saw fit. The result is a dynamic session combining the best of a disciplined brass assembly with the unfettered play of a top jazz improvisor".[3]

1. "In a Mellow Tone" (Duke Ellington, Milt Gabler) - 2:28
2. "Hannah Strikes Again" (Hank Lentz) -1:45
3. "Li'l Darlin'" (Neal Hefti) - 4:52
4. "Diane" (Lew Pollack, Ernö Rapée) - 2:43
5. "Happy Time" (Junior Mance) - 2:35
6. "The Late, Late Show" (Roy Alfred, Murray Berlin) - 2:07
7. "Fine Brown Frame" (Guadalupe Cartiero, J. Mayo Williams) - 2:08
8. "Señor Mance" (Mance, Bob Bain) - 2:11
9. "Stompin' at the Savoy" (Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Edgar Sampson, Andy Razaf) - 2:57
10. "Trouble in Mind" (Richard M. Jones) - 2:18
11. "The J. A. M. F." (Lentz) - 2:10

• Junior Mance - piano
• John Audino, Pete Candoli, Don Fagerquist, Al Porcino, Ray Triscari - trumpet
• Milt Bernhart, Vern Friley, Lew McCreary - trombone
• George Roberts, Ken Shroyer - bass trombone
• Bob Bain - guitar, musical director
• Monty Budwig - bass
• Shelly Manne - drums
• Bob Bain, David Cavanaugh - arranger