Refreshed

HERBIE HANCOCK
The Herbie Hancock Box
(Columbia/Legacy)
Herbie Hancock is a certified legend of jazz. Between his amazing technique, excellent compositional skills and inherent soulfulness, he's everything you'd want a jazz musician to be. Like a lot of great jazzmen of the last half-century, he did a great deal of work for Columbia Records, before it became another cog in Sony's marketing wheel. Now Legacy is giving Hancock the box set treatment, putting the keyboardist on the bookshelf alongside Miles Davis, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk and other titans whose work the label has recently anthologized. With several Japanese-only tracks appearing in the U.S. for the first time and a broad overview of Hancock's many stylistic detours, The Herbie Hancock Box is a good way to dip one's toes into some mighty refreshing waters.

Disk one of this four-disk set concentrates mostly on Hancock's work with the quintet VSOP. This band formed in the 70s as Hancock reconvened his cohorts in the 60s Miles Davis Quintet—saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard subbing for Davis. This group's intent was not only pay tribute to but also expand upon the music of that era. "Finger Painting," "Diana" and "The Eye of the Hurricane" demonstrate VSOP's near-telepathic interplay, melodic instincts and demonic improvisational skills, with Hubbard in particular distinguishing himself. Best of all is a beautifully nuanced version of the Hancock standard "Maiden Voyage," preceded by a luminous piano intro and highlighted by marvelous solos from Hancock, Hubbard and Shorter. This disk also includes the classically-inclined piano solo "Harvest," the title song from Hancock's score for the film 'Round Midnight, featuring Bobby McFerrin on wordless vocals, and "The Sorcerer," an energized tribute to Miles that features a quartet armed with trumpet whiz Wynton Marsalis in one of his first major gigs. In a supporting position divorced from his usual jazz demagoguery, Marsalis' nifty soloing is a nice reminder of what an amazing musician he is. This track also highlights Hancock's willingness to showcase new talent—it's indicative of the pianist's thorough understanding of his instrument's capacity for support as well as lead.

The second disk has more VSOP tracks, including the grooving "Eighty-One" (featuring a greasy bass solo from Carter), the barnstorming "Domo" and a lyrical duet between Hancock and Shorter on a medley of the standards "Stella By Starlight" and "On Green Dolphin Street." There's even a never-before-issued-anywhere VSOP take on Hubbard's classic "Red Clay." But this chapter explores more of Hancock's acoustic music than just what he did with that quintet. The swinging "Dolphin Dance" and a cover of Miles' propulsive classic "Milestones" present Hancock in a trio setting, backed by Carter and Williams. Equally intriguing is "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)," taken from one of the many projects Hancock did as an acoustic duet with Chick Corea. Recorded live, "Liza" finds the two men playfully working the Gershwin melody like children, tossing it back and forth, grabbing for it at once, knocking it away and running to get it back, and just generally having a grand ol' time with a classic tune. It's a pleasure to hear two extraordinarily talented pianists move from elegant to anarchic and back again with nothing driving them except the pure joy of playing music. (more)

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