It’s been said before (by me) that Herbie Hancock is jazz’s chameleon. This should not be understood as a neutral, flavorless quality; rather as an uncanny ability to match any musical situation, bringing to it the precise ingredients called for. From his debut album in 1962 “Takin’ Off” (Blue Note), to the present day, Hancock has stood dead center in some of the more groundbreaking sessions that have led from there to here. Just to document the recordings, the sheer amount of material he created to drive the evolution of jazz, funk and soul music would require an entire volume.
Like many of modern music’s prime movers, Hancock had a classical education. Born here in Chicago, at age eleven he performed in a concert with the world renown Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Like the founding fathers of America’s native music however, Hancock schooled himself in jazz.
The Miles Universe
Mongo Santamria’s “Watermelon Man,” from “Takin’ Off” actually turned out to be a hit, easing the road for the modal experiments to follow. “Inventions And Dimensions,” and “My Point Of View,” recorded for Blue Note in ’63 were clearly moving in a different direction. He proved as well, that he could play piano at the level of the highest maestro in any genre or setting. 1964’s “Empyrean Isles” broke completely free of the mold, exploring uncharted modal and rhythmic dimensions. The real story however, begins with Hancock’s introduction to Miles Davis in 1963, laying the groundwork for the formation of the second great Miles Davis Quintet, arguably the ultimate jazz ensemble for all time. Beginning with Miles Davis’s “ESP,” released in 1965, Hancock would chart new musical territory with the Quintet through the end of the decade; music that would forever alter the modern landscape. As well as fellow band members Wayne Shorter (tenor sax) and the sensational new prodigy on drums, Tony Williams, Hancock led sessions for Blue Note in tandem with the output of the Quintet.
His fifth Blue Note release “Maiden Voyage,” became an instant classic, comprised of often covered Hancock compositions that eventually became standards. He was joined by Ron Carter and Tony Williams (the rest of Miles’s rhythm section), and George Coleman, who was in Miles’s quintet during the transition which led to Wayne Shorter, as well as the dynamic Freddie Hubbard (trumpet) who, some claimed, was Davis’s natural heir.
Setting Sail
The title track “Maiden Voyage” rises like dawn; one of the most tranquil, hypnotic tunes possible. Hubbard’s lines, though nothing like Miles, are stunning. This is one of jazz’s omnipresent melodies; countless artists have been seduced into covering “Maiden Voyage.” Following with “The Eye Of The Hurricane,” the nautical theme is expanded – the music is headed through stormy waters. The bold lines are rendered with such mastery and confidence though, that the listener is yet left floating on a tranquil sea. “Little One,” recorded three months earlier by the Quintet, floats on modal sublimity. George Coleman’s tenor steers through gentle waves, before turning the oars over to Hubbard who flutters and cajoles, taking us momentarily to the clouds.
“Survival Of The Fittest” takes us right back into tumult on the high seas. Tony William’s broken drum line is threatening; the winds explode, and ahead lies ten minutes of whirling, salt-sprayed adventure. All five players eventually get caught in the updraft – and this is a perfect place to call ground-zero for free jazz, and then to argue with no end about how “free” the music really is. Every cluster, progression and nuance is informed and arises from the context of a sea voyage; this music is utterly direct.
The album closes with another Hancock classic that became a ready standard for generations to come, the lovely “Dolphin Dance.” Hubbard and Coleman play the head in breath-taking unison, before one, and then the other go off to peel the gorgeous layers of the tune in search of the pearl; the pearl is the search itself. The listener is left once again in calm, soothing waters.
Hey Hey Hey –
“Maiden Voyage” was a perfect metaphor for change, particularly change in music. Neither Herbie Hancock nor anybody else in the Quintet sat still for any length of time. Roundly criticized for taking jazz into the broader popular realm (but never to the degree leveled at Miles) Hancock signed with Warner Brothers in 1969 and went on to create the funky soundtrack for Bill Cosby’s animated television show “Fat Albert.” He followed this with excursions into the deepest, darkest realms of funk, in a jazz setting, with “Crossings” and “Mwandishi,” before cutting the earth-shaking “Head Hunters” which became a best-seller and created a standard for soul-funk that reverberates to the present day. Seemingly eons away from where the voyage began, yet a mere eight years had passed between the ultra-slick, squishy, super-funk of “Head Hunters” and the stark, breathy timelessness of “Maiden Voyage.”
Today’s Jazz Messenger
Since then, much of modern music’s development has been guided by the genius of Herbie Hancock. His gorgeous tribute to longtime friend Joni Mitchell, “River; The Joni Letters” is a shining example of how Hancock intuits and adapts the music of others, often making us forget that what we are hearing is his. One would like to believe that “River” winning the 2008 Best Album Of The Year Grammy, is somehow relevant; regardless, it demonstrates the comforting facts that his finger, and Joni’s as well, are still on the pulse of modern music.
Scott Cramer - Scott lives in Chicago and is an insufferable know-it-all on certain topics. He writes fiction (primarily short stories) much of which ...
