Herbie Hancock Album-By-Album Thread

I've been enjoying the Miles Davis album by album thread and hoped there might be some interest in exploring Herbie's vast catalog.

I'll kick things off with "Takin' Off," and the Steve Huey review from Allmusic:

"Herbie Hancock's debut as a leader, Takin' Off, revealed a composer and pianist able to balance sophistication and accessibility, somewhat in the vein of Blue Note's prototype hard bopper Horace Silver. Yet while Hancock could be just as funky and blues-rooted as Silver, their overall styles diverged in several ways: Hancock was lighter and more cerebral, a bit more adventurous in his harmonies, and more apt to break his solos out of a groove (instead of using them to create one). So even if, in retrospect, Takin' Off is among Hancock's most conventional albums, it shows a young stylist already strikingly mature for his age, and one who can interpret established forms with spirit and imagination. Case in point: the simple, catchy "Watermelon Man," which became a Hancock signature tune and a jazz standard in the wake of a hit cover by Latin jazz star Mongo Santamaria. Hancock's original version is classic Blue Note hard bop: spare, funky piano riffing and tight, focused solo statements. The other compositions are memorable and well-constructed too (if not quite hit material); all have their moments, but particular highlights include the ruminative ballad "Alone and I," the minor-key "The Maze" (which features a little bit of free improvisation in the rhythm section), and the bluesy "Empty Pockets." The backing group includes then up-and-coming trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, bassist Butch Warren, and drummer Billy Higgins. All in all, Takin' Off is an exceptional first effort, laying the groundwork for Hancock to begin pushing the boundaries of hard bop on his next several records."

Herbie discusses "Takin' Off" in "Possibilities," his autobiography. He mentions that Donald Byrd, somewhat of a mentor to Hancock, convinced him he was ready to make an album and advised him to play hard ball with Blue Note about keeping his publishing; advice Herbie, thankfully, followed. According to the book, the album was released in May of 1962 and got to number 84 on the Billboard chart (he explains that this was not specifically a jazz chart, but the general top 100.)

Thoughts?

 

A fine start to his great Blue Note series of albums. More conservative than what he would do after joining Miles (in part due to Dexter Gordon and the rhythm section) but with some hints of the modal experiments to come in "The Maze."

 

Any chance we can revive this thread?

 

What was so apparent about HH right from the start of his illustrious career was that he had a foot firmly in gospel, in the church where he had started playing piano as a kid, and another foot in classical. He could turn on a dime and indulge in stylistic nods both directions, even while staying true to the bebop language that he learned so well from studying Bud Powell's playing. It seems that only he could have written Watermelon Man, a tune he would revisit to good effect a decade later after contributing many legendary titles to the Blue Note catalog. Dex and Hubbard were perfect companions for his debut album.

 

I missed this in december, apparently. I'd take part, but I'm not sure there'd be enough general interest. even Miles is only drawing a handful of members to crispi's thread.

also, apart from music other than rock being pretty marginal on this forum, I've noticed over the years that ABA threads tend not to work if the moderator copypastas wikipedia or allmusic text for each album instead of writing original content.

 

Surprising that even a Miles thread is struggling; doesn't bode well for Herbie! I'm right now almost finished with his autobiography and this thread would have totally hit the spot (by the way, the book is one of the best books by a musician I've read--finally a book that focuses on the music not just an extended Wikipedia page!).

Maybe better to focus on specific albums rather than the entire catalog since most here may not be familiar with every release in the catalog?

 

How is Watermelon Man on "Takin' Off" different than from on "Head Hunters"?

I have a few Hancock albums, but haven't heard his first album.

 

it's a drastically different arrangement. apart from being played primarily on electric instruments, the hindewhu-inspired bottle-blowing intro is exclusive to the head hunters version, as is the funk groove that follows it. the melody and tag as played by Herbie and Maupin on head hunters is the focus of the original version.

 

Thanks, @drasil
I have never heard this debut album. Guess I need to, now.

 

I read Herbie's autobiography last year as well, and agree with you on all points. I can't remember when I enjoyed a music bio more.

 

Point taken. I follow a couple of other ABA threads and that's how they do things so I followed suit. I'd recently finished Hancock's autobiography when I first posted and was trying to gauge interest. Probably would have helped to post original content.

 

[QUOTE="MRamble, post: 16514154, member: 31490"Maybe better to focus on specific albums rather than the entire catalog since most here may not be familiar with every release in the catalog?[/QUOTE]

Probably a good idea.
Spinning "Empyrean Isles" right now.

 

Glad to see it wasn't just me! It's personal, relaxed but also richly detailed. I'm listening to it on audio book and with Herbie himself reading it is a complete blast. He's playful, very casual and light hearted and it's great to hear him talk about Miles because when he speaks his dialogue he'll use his Miles "whisper" and it's great fun. Check it out on Audible or check if your library has the CDs...it's a fantastic listen. Kudos to co-author Lisa Dickey as well.

It got me thinking if there would be any other musicians books as rich as this one...even if it's someone whose music I didn't know that well I'd be interested in reading it if it's as excellent as this book.

 

probably, but I'm sure it's not just that. I'd love to see this thread thrive. I'm a huge fan and likely know more about Herbie than any other jazz artist whose last name isn't Coltrane. but when Miles only attracts a dozen or so participants to his ABA... you might be on a primarily rock-oriented forum.

 

or maybe a hybrid Album by Album and All Purpose Herbie Hancock thread

 

I really enjoy a couple of the jazz threads around here. There are some friendly, knowledgeable folks from whom I've learned a great deal. I'd love to go deeper into Herbie's music if there's an interest. The idea of turning this into an all-purpose Herbie thread is fine by me, too. I'm just hoping to learn something.

 

You named Empyrean Isles: tuned in now.
What is the cut which you like the most?
Why?
I think I like "Oliloqui Valley" the most, I love Freddie's horn, the breathing space the other players create.
Ron's bass...


And why did "The Egg" happen?

 

I happen to also put Empyrean Isles on tonight as well. I had not heard in a very long time. I'm right now focused mainly on his 70's stuff outside of Head Hunters. It was nice to go back to this and compare the two Watermelon Man tracks side by side. Brought some great context; especially after hearing him discuss it extensively in his book.

I'm not sure what I was doing the first time I heard this album but how in the world did I forget "The Egg"? A fantastic piece! Did he ever perform this live? Also: any back story on the title of the song? It sounds like a connection to the age old adage: what came first...the chicken or the egg? Herbie and crew apparently have the answer. Just my weird speculation. Any cool info about the song would be appreciated!

 

Has anyone purchased the hi-res version of Empyrean Isles (or any other of his stuff) on hdtracks? I noticed they've got it in 192khz which looks very tempting. And double checking: there was no SACD of this album, was there?

 

I'd never thought about the audio book, but I'll give it a go. I actually read the Herbie book twice...After my first read I was able to see him and Wayne Shorter in concert, so it brought me right back to the text.
Wayne's bio, "Footprints," by Michelle Mercer, is good as well (though not quite as engaging as "Possibilities," IMO).

 

Great idea for a thread, love Herbie.

 

I'd love to read his book. I follow his page on FB as well and would've loved to have caught him and Shorter on their recent tour.

I'm late at getting into jazz, and have only recently found the audio wave blue note xrcd series. Herbie's Takin' Off is one of the titles that unfortunately sits in pre-order limbo now that it appears that series has been cancelled. Would've loved to have heard this one in that format.

That said, his Thrust SACD is awesome.

 

Love Herbie, love Takin' Off and all his Blue Notes and beyond. Sign me up.

 

I'm typically drawn to smaller group sounds, so this one horn arrangement works for me. I think the thing that most appeals to me about Herbie's playing is that he's such an intense listener. He's constantly responding to what the others are playing when he's comping (sometimes I can get lost just listening to his left hand) and he will often feed the soloist ideas. He, Carter, and Williams were otherworldly in their abilities to communicate.

I'm also partial to "Oliliqui Valley." I'm a sucker for modal tunes in general, and Ron Carter kills on this one. A review I read of this album pointed out that each of the four tracks was covering a different base. "One Finger Snap" explores harmony, "Valley" is modal, "Cantaloupe Island" is about groove, and "The Egg" is all about improvisation (reportedly the whole track is improvised).

I find "The Egg" endlessly interesting. Seen in the context of some Herbie's other 1964 sessions it makes even more sense, especially considering albums like Grachan Moncur's "Some Other Stuff," Lee Morgan's "Search for the New Land," Tony Williams "Lifetime," and Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil." That's a lot of cutting edge writing/playing from guys who were not afraid to go outside.

 

From what I've read, the Music Matters vinyl (on two 45 rpm discs) is highly recommended. The only version I have is the RVG CD.