Herbie Hancock Sextet (1)
Saturday 18th January 2025, 17:00 – House of Hard Bop.
In the early 1960s, Herbie Hancock (1940) began to manifest himself on the jazz front. In addition to his extensive academic studies, he shared stages with Oliver Nelson, Phil Woods and Donald Byrd. On Donald Byrd’s album Royal Flush (1961), he made his Blue Note debut. His first solo album, Takin’ Off from 1962 – with Watermelon Man -, caught the attention of Miles Davis. A year later, he was part of Davis’ Second Great Quintet, with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams in the rhythm section.
Donald Byrd and Tony Williams were part of Hancock’s My Point of View from 1963. You will hear this entire album. Then 4 pieces from Speak Like a Child from 1968.
In addition to Byrd and Williams, we hear trombonist Grachan Moncur III, tenorist Hank Mobley, guitarist Grant Green and bassist Chuck Israels on My Point of View. Stylistically, the music fans out in various directions. For example, Grant Green is used in two pieces with a pronounced soul character: Blind Man, Blind Man, – simple theme and harmony, mainly based on one keynote – and the piece with the intriguing title And What If I Don’t.
In A Tribute to Someone, a composition from 1959 from Hancock’s study period, the atmosphere tilts towards relaxed. Long, lyrical solos by Byrd and Mobley. Drummer Williams is on top of it, even in this tempo. In terms of form and harmony, King Cobra goes in a different direction again. High complexity, and ‘free’ rhythms, especially by Williams, who plays elastically around and over the bar lines. The last minute is entirely his. Miles Davis brings wonder boy Williams into his Second Great Quartet in this period, where he develops rapidly. Davis saw the then seventeen-year-old (!) Williams as “(…) the center that the group’s sound revolved around.”
Five years later, in 1968, Speak Like a Child appears. A completely different concept. In the sextet line-up, two less common instruments: alto flute (Jerry Dodgion) and bass trombone (Peter Phillips). Thad Jones plays flugelhorn. The bassist is Ron Carter and Mickey Roker is on the drums. The wind trio is tightly arranged by Hancock. We hear the influence of Gil Evans, among others. The wind instruments do not solo, which means that the attention is mainly focused on the pianist. In First Trip, a composition by bassist Carter, the wind instruments are absent. It swings nicely ‘old-fashioned’. Within the context of the album, this piece, with its immediately recognizable design, is remarkably clear.
House of Hard Bop Eric Ineke