22-CD artist series dedicated to a musician who emerged after 1960. Herbie's abilities are apparent from the outset in "Watermelon Man", an infectious Latin soul groove featuring bop tenor great Dexter Gordon that's set deep in the Blue Note ethos of the early 1960s. "Cantaloupe Island" and "Maiden Voyage" added floating rhythms and a cool spaciousness to the style and featuring as they do the contributions of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and drummer Tony Williams they may represent Hancock's most durable work. The 1968 sextet of "Speak Like a Child" signals Hancock's expanding interest in texture by adding bass trombone and alto flute, an inclination that finds further expression in the 1969 "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" by Mwandishi, his first band to incorporate electronics. Synthesizers and funk rhythms dominate the Headhunters' 1973 "Chameleon", while "Actual Proof" demonstrates just how creatively Hancock could use layered keyboards. The synthesizers and programming reach their limit on the 1983 hit "Rockit", a studio product that shows just how far Hancock would travel from his original premises. Ironically, it's the earlier material here--especially Hancock's acoustic Blue Note period--that sounds most contemporary. --Stuart Broomer
22-CD artist series dedicated to a musician who emerged after 1960. Herbie's abilities are apparent from the outset in "Watermelon Man", an infectious Latin soul groove featuring bop tenor great Dexter Gordon that's set deep in the Blue Note ethos of the early 1960s. "Cantaloupe Island" and "Maiden Voyage" added floating rhythms and a cool spaciousness to the style and featuring as they do the contributions of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and drummer Tony Williams they may represent Hancock's most durable work. The 1968 sextet of "Speak Like a Child" signals Hancock's expanding interest in texture by adding bass trombone and alto flute, an inclination that finds further expression in the 1969 "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" by Mwandishi, his first band to incorporate electronics. Synthesizers and funk rhythms dominate the Headhunters' 1973 "Chameleon", while "Actual Proof" demonstrates just how creatively Hancock could use layered keyboards. The synthesizers and programming reach their limit on the 1983 hit "Rockit", a studio product that shows just how far Hancock would travel from his original premises. Ironically, it's the earlier material here--especially Hancock's acoustic Blue Note period--that sounds most contemporary.--Stuart Broomer
Advantages: Bonus tracks, intimate recording Disadvantages: Not the greatest sound quality
...HerbieHancock has been making high quality CD’s over the last 4 decades and this CD is no exception.
'The Piano' is a stunning album which features Hancock on his own at the piano. Tracks 8-11 feature previously unrealised material, which are different takes of earlier music on the album. This enables the listener to get a little closer to the creative mind of HerbieHancock.
The piano was an early "disc to disc" recording and the quality could be slightly better, however the listener has a unique chance to hear Hancock in action on his own.
My personal favourite is track 4 'Harvest Time'. In this track Hancock is in complete control of the music and as a listener we are left on the edge of our seats wondering what is going to happen next. Not as ground breaking as some of his other albums e.g. 'Headhunters' however...
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Advantages: Awesome chillout cd Disadvantages: Not to everyones taste
...Dis Is Da Drum - HerbieHancock!
Who is HerbieHancock?? Well, he was born in 1940 and by the tender age of 11 was considered somewhat of a piano virtuoso. In 1963 he received a life changing phone call from Miles Davis asking Herbie to join his band "The Miles Davis Quintet". He then took his solo career to new heights and even after being a professional musician for 5 decades is still at the forefront. He has been and is a huge inspiration in the Jazz and R&B culture we know today.
The CD opens on "Call it 95", an über-funky tune in which Herbie lays down some classic, simple lines on his acoustic piano and is accompanied by some funky slide bass, awesome sax licks and as many different drum sounds as you can imagine! On this track alone there are 13 different musicians collaborating. It's the sort of track that perfectly...
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Advantages: irresitably funky Disadvantages: only 4 tracks (but long all the same!)
...This is the only Hancock album I own but being intrested in all styles of music I wanted to give this a try.
Hancock is a very talented keyboard player, who with his very tight 4 piece band and his large bank of synthesisers and electric keyboards creates all sorts of radical and new sounds in jazz that shook the jazz world in 1973.
First track chameleon is based on a low analog synth riff and off beat drum rythm, that starts the album off on a very rythmic and slightly minimal note.
This is then followed by the eerie 'watermelon man', starting off with an amazing african percussion section by Bill summers, and gradually a jazzy bass line creaps in, leading the way to another great slice of jazz fusion, complete with sax solos and funky harmonies.
'sly' is essentially a tribute to the music of sly stone, the famous funk musician...
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helpful 14.04.2001
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