Herbie HANCOCK - Prisoner 1969

Herbie HANCOCK - Prisoner 1969
1987 Issue.BST-84321

Jazz

There is no mistaking the influence of the great Gil Evans on Herbie Hancock's THE PRISONER. The dark textures, the creative voicings, and the way in which Hancock assembles his arrangements are evocative of Evans' work with the pianist's former boss, Miles Davis. However, Hancock does more than pay homage here, as he exercises yet another aspect of his exceptional musicianship and applies it to the large ensemble format he had begun to approach on his previous date, SPEAK LIKE A CHILD.

THE PRISONER is significant for other reasons; for one, it was recorded at the beginning of a great upheaval in jazz, when the form incorporated the adoption of electric instruments and rock-influenced rhythms in a move towards the fusion of the '70s. Yet, although Hancock uses an electric piano on some pieces, the session is mostly a performance of beautifully crafted acoustic chamber music with a significant undercurrent of swing. The date also marked the end of Hancock's association with Blue Note, the label that had launched his solo career. Subsequently the pianist would move into the full flow of '70s fusion.
**
Buster Williams- Bass
Jerome Richardson- Clarinet [Bass], Flute ,
Romeo Penque- Clarinet [Bass] (tracks: B1, B3)
Albert "Tootie" Heath- Drums
Johnny Coles- Flugelhorn 
Hubert Laws- Flute
Herbie Hancock- Piano, Electric Piano
Joe Henderson- Saxophone [Tenor], Flute [Alto] 
Garnett Brown- Trombone
Jack Jeffers- Trombone [Bass] (tracks: B1, B3),
Tony Studd- Trombone [Bass] 
**
A1. I Have A Dream 10:55
       Written-By - H. Hancock
A2. The Prisoner 7:55
       Written-By - H. Hancock
B1. Firewater 7:30
       Written-By - C. B. Williams
B2. He Who Lives In Fear 6:50
       Written-By - H. Hancock
B3. Promise Of The Sun 7:50
       Written-By - H. Hancock
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Herbie HANCOCK - Fat Albert Rotunda 1969

Herbie HANCOCK - Fat Albert Rotunda 1969

Jazz

Centered around some soundtrack music that Herbie Hancock wrote for Bill Cosby's Fat Albert cartoon show, Fat Albert Rotunda was Hancock's first full-fledged venture into jazz-funk and his last until Head Hunters, making it a prophetic release. At the same time, it was far different in sound from his later funk ventures, concentrating on a romping, late-'60s-vintage R&B-oriented sound. with frequent horn riffs and great rhythmic comping and complex solos from Hancock's Fender Rhodes electric piano. The syllables of the titles alone  "Wiggle Waggle," "Fat Mama," "Oh! Oh! Here He Comes"  have a rhythm and feeling that tell you exactly how this music saunters and swaggers along  just like the jolly cartoon character. But there is more to this record than fatback funk. There is the haunting, harmonically sophisticated "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" (which ought to become a jazz standard), and the similarly relaxed "Jessica." The sextet on hand is a star-studded bunch, with Joe Henderson in funky and free moods on tenor sax, Johnny Coles on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums. Only Williams would remain for Hancock's 1977 electric V.S.O.P.: The Quintet album to come. In addition, trumpeter Joe Newman, saxophonist Joe Farrell, guitarist Eric Gale, and drummer Bernard Purdie make guest appearances on two tracks.
By Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide.
**
Johnny Coles- Trumpet,Flugelhorn,Horn
Herbie Hancock- Synthesizer,Piano,Keyboards,Electric Piano,Vocals
Billy Hart- Percussion,Drums
Joe Henderson- Flute,Tenor Sax
Garnett Brown- Trombone
Albert "Tootie" Heath- Drums
Buster Williams- Percussion,Electric Bass,Acoustic Bass
**
A1. Wiggle-Waggle   5:48
A2. Fat Mama   3:45
A3. Tell Me a Bedtime Story  5:00
A4. Oh! Oh! Here He Comes   4:05

B1. Jessica   4:11
B2. Fat Albert Rotunda  6:27
B3. Lil' Brother   4:25
**
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Herbie HANCOCK - A Tribute To Miles 1994

Herbie HANCOCK - A Tribute To Miles 1994
Label: Qwest / Wea

Jazz

This Miles Davis tribute album brings back four-fifths of his second classic quintet with Wallace Roney the logical choice to fill in for the late trumpeter. Roney comes across as a sideman and is not as forceful here as one would have hoped. Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams had all grown with time and this reunion has Hancock and Williams taking on more prominent leadership roles than in the earlier days. With the exception of the drummer's "Elegy," all of the music "("So What," "RJ," "Little One," "Pinocchio," "Eighty One" and "All Blues") was regularly performed by the quintet back in the '60s. In general this reunion is a success even if it contains no new revelations. It is particularly nice to hear Wayne Shorter in this setting again.
**
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock, 12 April 1940, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Growing up in a musical household, Hancock studied piano from the age of seven and gave his first public performance just two years later. Although he played classical music at his debut Hancock's interest lay mostly in jazz. During high school and college he played in semi-professional bands and on occasion accompanied visiting jazzmen, including Donald Byrd. It was with Byrd that Hancock first played in New York, in 1961, recording with him and as leader of his own small group. Among the tunes on Hancock's debut for the Blue Note Records label was "Watermelon Man", an original composition that appealed to more than the usual jazz audience. A version of the song, by Mongo Santamaría, reached the US Top 10 in 1963.
By Scott Yanow. AMG.
**
In 1986 Hancock played and acted in the movie 'Round Midnight. He also wrote the score, for which he won an Academy Award. Subsequently, he became more active in jazz, touring with Williams, Ron Carter, Michael Brecker and others. In 1994, he teamed up with Carter, Williams, Wayne Shorter, and Wallace Roney to record a tribute album to Miles Davis, who had died three years previously.
***A Tribute To Miles won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual Or Group.***
In marked contrast, the same year's Dis Is Da Drum (Hancock's first for the Mercury Records group) steered towards acid jazz. The New Standard (1995) was an interesting concept album. On this Hancock gave interpretations of songs by rock singer-songwriters such as Peter Gabriel, Don Henley, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Prince and lo and behold, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. An excellent collaboration with Wayne Shorter in 1997 featured both musicians performing without accompaniment. Hancock's late 90s tribute to George Gershwin was another excellent recording, with guest apperances from Shorter, Stevie Wonder, and Joni Mitchell. The album won Hancock his seventh Grammy Award.
**
Wayne Shorter- Alto sax, Tenor sax
Wallace Roney- Trumpet
Herbie Hancock- Piano
Ron Carter- Bass
Tony Williams- Drums
**
01. So What  10:19
02. RJ   4:07
03. Little One  7:20
04. Pinocchio  5:44
05. Elegy  8:42
06. Eighty One  7:31
07. All Blues  15:15
**
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