Herbie Hancock

Takin off Herbie Hancock

Takin' Off was pianist Herbie Hancock's (born in

Chicago on April 12, 1940; he is 79 at this writing) first

album under his own name. All of the compositions

are by the leader, who is backed by such stars as

Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, Butch Warren, and

Billy Higgins. The album includes one of Hancock's

best-known compositions, "Watermelon Man", which

made it to the Top 100 on the pop charts. The tune

would become a jazz standard, after being covered

by Mongo Santamaria, among others. Initially, Blue

Note producer Alfred Lion had told Hancock that his

first studio session as a leader should combine a

selection of original compositions and well-known

jazz standards. However, after hearing the potential

of "Watermelon Man", the producer urged the pianist

to complete the LP with his original tunes. Takin' Off

caught the attention of Miles Davis. Hancock was

introduced to Davis by the young drummer Tony

Williams. As part of Miles Davis's Second Great

Quintet, Hancock would help to redefine the role of

a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary

architects of the post-bop sound. He was one of the

first jazz musicians to embrace synthesizers and

incorporate the funk genre into jazz.

FREDDIE HUBBARD, trumpet

DEXTER GORDON, tenor sax

HERBIE HANCOCK, piano

BUTCH WARREN, bass

BILLY HIGGINS, drums

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, May 28, 1962.

Original session recorded by Rudy Van Gelder

& produced by Alfred Lion.

*BONUS TRACKS:

FREDDIE HUBBARD, trumpet; JAMES SPAULDING, alto sax (on A4)

& flute (on B4); HERBIE HANCOCK, piano; REGGIE WORKMAN, bass;

CLIFFORD JARVIS, drums. Hackensack, New Jersey, October 10, 1962.

Original session recorded by Rudy Van Gelder and produced by Alfred Lion.

From Freddie Hubbard's LP Hub-Tones (Blue Note BST841115).