Herbie Hancock - The Essential (disc 1)
Artist: Herbie Hancock
Title: The Essential (disc 1)
Label: Sony BMG
Audio CD (February 28, 2006)
Original Release Date: 2006
Genre Jazz
Style Hard Bop, Modal Music, Post-Bop,
Crossover Jazz, Funk, Fusion, Soul Jaz
Source: Original CD
Extractor: EAC 0.99 prebeta 4
Used drive: HL-DT-STDVDRAM GSA-E10L
Read offset correction: 667
Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
Codec: Flac 1.2.1; Level 8
Single File.flac, Eac.log,
File.cue Multiple wav file with Gaps (Noncompliant)
Accurately ripped (confidence 21)
Size Torrent: 437 Mb
Covers Included
Tracklisting:
Disc: 1
1. Watermelon
2. 'Round Midnight
3. Cantaloupe Island
4. Maiden Voyage
5. Circle
6. The Sorcerer
7. Tell Me a Bedtime Story
8. Hidden Shadows
9. Chameleon
10. Joanna's Theme 4:47
Personnel:
Alex Al Bass
Michael Beinhorn Dmx, Electronic Drums, Mini Moog
Garnett Brown Trombone
Terri Lyne Carrington Drums
Ron Carter Bass
Mike Clarke Drums
George Coleman Sax (Tenor)
Johnny Coles Flugelhorn
Miles Davis Composer, Trumpet
Jerry Dodgion Flute (Alto)
Sheila Escovedo Percussion
Dexter Gordon Sax (Tenor)
Herbie Hancock Arp 2600, Arp Echoplex, Arp Odyssey, Arp Pro Soloist, Arp Strings, Clavitar, Composer, Fairlight CMI, Fender Rhodes, Handclapping, Keyboards, Micro Moog, Mini Moog, Oberheim, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Piano (Electric), Rhythm Sequencing, Synthesizer, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Billy Hart Drums, Percussion
Albert "Tootie" Heath Drums
Eddie Henderson Trumpet
Joe Henderson Flute, Sax (Tenor)
Billy Higgins Drums
Freddie Hubbard Cornet, Trumpet
Paul Jackson Bass (Electric),
Thad Jones Flugelhorn
Bill Laswell Bass (Electric)
James Levi Drums
Harvey Mason, Sr. Composer, Drums
Bennie Maupin Clarinet (Bass), Composer, Flute (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Roy McCurdy Drums
Alphonse Mouzon Drums, Keyboards
Baba Duru Oshun Tabla
Jaco Pastorius Bass (Electric)
Peter Phillips Trombone (Bass)
Julian Priester Trombone (Alto)
Raul Rekow Conga
Mickey Roker Drums
Sonny Rollins Sax (Tenor)
Wayne Shorter Sax (Tenor)
Bill Summers Percussion
Greg Walker Vocals
Butch Warren Bass
Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington Bass (Electric)
Wah Wah Watson Guitar
Buster Williams Bass, Bass (Acoustic)
Tony Ruption Williams Drums
Stevie Wonder Harmonica, Vocals
Listen to Samples
http://allmusic.com/album/the-essential-herbie-hancock-r822308/review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrgP1u5YWEg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHIhJGqpck0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwmRQ0PBtXU
reviews
The Essential Herbie Hancock is the forty-sixth album by American jazz musician and pianist Herbie Hancock. It is part of Sony BMG's The Essential series. Unlike the box set The Herbie Hancock Box, this is the first 2-disc compilation of all of Hancock's music on the various recording labels that Hancock was on.
This 2-CD, 21-track compilation shows how keyboardist/composer/bandleader Herbie Hancock successfully crossed the boundaries of jazz and pop for four decades. Compiled from five record labels, from 1962 to 2000, tracks like "Circle" showcase his legendary stint in Miles Davis' mid-'60s acoustic combos, and "Maiden Voyage," and "Cantaloupe Island" are but two of his historic jazz compositions from his Blue Note period. But hits like his smash soul-fusion, 70s Headhunters cut, "Chameleon," the evocative "Come Running to Me," which featured the vocoder voice synthesizer, and the hip-hop anthem "Rockit," which broke through the MTV video barrier, garnered younger generations of fans. Not to be forgotten are his excellent movie themes, including his eerie 1986 Oscar-winning soundtrack "Round Midnight," his poppin' collaboration with bassist Jaco Pastorius on "4 A.M.," and his rhythmic rendezvous with Stevie Wonder on W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues." Herbie Hancock is essential, in any time or style. --Eugene Holley, Jr.
--------
No other artist in the last 45 years of jazz has remained on the cutting edge of the music like pianist and keyboardist Herbie Hancock: a musician with passion, an open mind and an awareness of history that constantly propels him forward into new sonic territory.
After listening to the first few songs on The Essential Herbie Hancock, you'll understand this intimately. Both Hancock's 1962 hit "Watermelon Man" and his 1964 gem "Cantaloupe Island," which quietly made a strong contribution to hip-hop music in the 1990s (the group Us3 sampled Hancock's track for their hit "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)") are included in the collection. You'll also hear 1965's "Maiden Voyage," another mainstay on jazz radio for decades now, and a powerful version of "'Round Midnight" by Sonny Rollins where Hancock cleverly backs the saxophonist. Following these four monster recordings, the lineup for the next tune "Circle" is Hancock on keys, Miles Davis on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Tony Williams on drums and Ron Carter on bass. Together, they seem to be saying everything "My Funny Valentine" ever said only in a modern and more expressive way.
A very well put-together release, The Essential Herbie Hancock includes recordings from an assortment of labels where Hancock recorded, including Blue Note, Verve and RCA. Some of the songs are largely forgotten, but this album re-introduces them to the listener, not forgetting any period of Hancock's growth and development. "Butterfly," an electronic dirge from Hancock's 1974 album Thrust, is here and is as powerful as ever, as is "Chameleon," Hancock's 1973 funk anthem.
But it is the lesser-known tunes that make The Essential Herbie Hancock a complete statement. "Hidden Shadows," a Hancock composition from 1973, is one such moment: more than 10 minutes of complete control, power and improvisational perfection where Hancock creates a wall of sound using keyboards, electronic effects and, most importantly, his heart and soul.
The last three recordings of this album bring Hancock's career and this compilation full circle. His 1983 club hit "Rockit," where Hancock anticipates a hip-hop future and battles hip-hop DJ Grandmaster D.S.T. with boldness and fun is followed by a little known version of "St. Louis Blues" with Hancock leading Stevie Wonder on vocals and harp. There are few arrangements of "St. Louis Blues" that are this inventive.
Of course, the final song here is "Manhattan," from his album The New Standard, another moment in Hancock's career where he challenged the status quo of jazz. Appropriately, on "Manhattan," it is Hancock on piano, all alone for a few moments and without need for any assistance--because as always, Herbie Hancock knows exactly what he wants to say.
-Brian Gilmore (as it originally appeared in Jazz Times Magazine)
