![]() Gil’s orchestra wasn’t the famous “+19” that played on Miles Ahead-the players on stage numbered 22, counting Evans conducting. Few other jazz artists could have put on a show like this one, just based on cost alone. Miles was, by 1961, a genuine star, and Columbia was investing in him like one. ![]() We must first acknowledge the developments that led to this moment. The result is one of the more unusual albums in Miles’ career, and one of the most lush sounding albums he ever recorded. When it came time for him to make his Carnegie Hall debut, then, it was only natural that the performance include both sounds. Miles began his Columbia Records recording career alternating between small group sessions and “big band” recordings with Gil Evans at the baton. Author Tim Jarrett Posted on Categories Music Tags albumoftheweek, billyhiggins, butchwarren, dextergordon, freddiehubbard, herbiehancock 1 Comment on Herbie Hancock, Takin’ Off Miles Davis, At Carnegie Hall We’ll hear the next stop on his journey next time. Takin’ Off was aptly named: Hancock was definitely going places. It’s a distinctive voice, and following the soul jazz and modal workouts of the rest of the album is something wholly new. The last track on the album, “Alone and I,” is the farthest step on the album, a tender ballad that showcases not only Gordon’s romantic side but also Herbie’s sensitive, tender voice, with a solo that carries echoes of 19th century Romantic composers but that is also steeped in jazz. This piece is ultimately a showcase not just for the soloists, but also HIggins, who explores more complex rhythms and timbres against each soloist in turn. And “The Maze,” which opens the second side, is a deceptively straight-ahead sounding workout that twists and turns through a circle of chords, returning again and again to the same progression. “Empty Pockets” is in a similar mood, with a modal theme that is fiercely swung by the rhythm section and jauntily soloed by both Gordon and Hubbard. “Three Bags Full” opens with a modal figure that would have been at home on Coltrane’s Atlantic records, but played with a swinging rhythm. In between, though, are several more challenging works. Hancock returned to the easygoing soul-jazz vein for “Driftin’,” the penultimate track on the album. Santamaria’s recording paid Herbie’s bills for several years. That’s when Mongo Santamaria, a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who heard something wilder in Hancock’s tune. The opener, “Watermelon Man,” was a hit, which was a calculation by Hancock he wanted something to start his career off strong, and he found it in the modified twelve-bar blues, which combined with a strong soul influence and a highly rhythmic approach was enough to loft it onto the pop charts in 1962. It’s Hancock’s compositions that ultimately stand out from this session. He brought with him a burnished tone and solid technique, as well as a clear comfort with the modal-influenced post-bop tunes that Hancock brought to the session. Hubbard had gotten his start in New York in 1958, and had already recorded with both Ornette Coleman (on Free Jazz), John Coltrane ( Olé Coltrane and Africa Brass), and Art Blakey, as well as two albums under his own name, by the time he entered the studio in May 1962 with Hancock’s group. And at the trumpet was another star of the Blue Note roster of the early 1960s, Freddie Hubbard. Butch Warren was a reliable house bassist for Blue Note, and Billy Higgins brought a deep well of innovation on the drums. At the same time, he absorbed some lessons from both John Coltrane and West Coast jazz, broadening his style with modal influences, and when he signed to Blue Note in the early 1960s he experienced a Renaissance of his career. Dexter Gordon was a well-known player who had been an early bebop standout, but had some troubles (with heroin) in the 1950s. The band on that first album, Takin’ Off, had something to do with his early success. And the very first song on his first album for the label became a top 100 single, then was re-recorded by Mongo Santamaria and reached number 10. He signed a contract with Blue Note Records fresh out of college and released his first album at the age of 22. He learned harmony from jazz musician Chris Anderson, and from the Hi-Los. A Chicago kid who went to Grinnell College and graduated with degrees in electrical engineering and music, he was already an accomplished performer, having made his public debut at the age of 11 performing a movement of a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony. ![]() There aren’t too many jazz players who start a career the way Herbie Hancock did.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |