[SACD-R][OF] Herbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage - 2010 (Jazz)

1.Maiden Voyage
2.The Eye Of The Hurricane
3.Little One
4.Survival Of The Fittest
5.Dolphin Dance

Every single tune on this album from the haunting “Maiden Voyage” to the gentle, swinging “Dolphin Dance” has found its way into the standard jazz repertoire. Herbie Hancock fashioned a modern jazz milestone with extraordinary compositions, interplay & solos.

The players on Maiden Voyage are essentially those of the Miles Davis band – but how different from Miles’ records it sounds & feels! In 1965, Herbie Hancock’s leadership & vision were rapidly taking shape. This album placed Hancock firmly in the company of the great jazz musicians. He had proved his mettle as an innovative & individual pianist on such excellent records as Wayne Shorter’s Speak No Evil (Blue Note, 1964) & Miles’ E.S.P. (Columbia, 1965), both recorded only months before. Now he led a group he knew intimately, & wrote enduring pieces for the date that were to become admired for decades to come.
The title track sets the tone for the whole record: subtle, measured, contemplative. It’s the 1st solo opportunity for the perpetually underrated George Coleman, who displays virtuosity without arrogance, elegance without contrivance, depth of feeling without sentimentality.
Impeccably orchestrated pieces like “Little One” & the closing “Dolphin Dance” establish Herbie Hancock as the complete musician: inimitable pianist, creative composer, charismatic leader, supreme stylist.

Original release 1965

Herbie Hancock, piano
Ron Carter, bass
George Coleman, tenor saxophone
Freddie Hubbard, trumpet
Anthony Williams, drums