Herbie Hancock is One of the Baddest Cats still on the Planet which Era represents His Best overall to you all??

1. With Miles Davis during the "Miles Smiles" era
2. the " Mwandishi" period from '69 to '72

I really like that bad video Rock It. I belive it was around 85 and Hot Tracks used to play it. Wow, I can remember Video music box, Fri Night videos and Hot Tracks when music was really Good. Really Happening. Baby I'm A Star/ I would Die 4 U long version. That was the Jam!

Vagina said:

Admit it Vagina you only listened to him because he had the
word Cock in his name

Hahahahahha. good one. He's talented . I like his music.

I'm still floored by the "Head Hunters" album. Its one of my all time favorites. Herbie is the man!

mistermaxxx said:

Know who he is, but have no idea about his catalogue. A quick history lesson would be welcome here. ...Where could I start from? which albums would you recommend?

Must be when he made headhunter...Chameleon is a classic...i love the part where it sounds like he is playing off key in Chameleon. I keep wondering if he did that on purpose.

codshort said:

Codshort, Brother you should get his 1974 HEADHUNTERS follow-up album called"THRUST". You talking about something FUNKY. I like this album every bit as much as I like HEADHUNTERS. Herbie plays his behind off(great improvisational takes on this one...he never seems to run out of ideas). And there's Paul Jackson laying in the cut on bass. "Butterfly" off of that album is a Herbie Hancock classic. Great album.

Herbie has had a lot of great creative runs. But I think his early 70's run is his best. Also check out another one of his masterpieces...MAIDEN VOYAGE(released in the mid 60's) which features my favorite trumpet player Freddie Hubbard{working the trumpet as only he can}. This record is a masterpiece.

There's a lot of good herbie material, however I prefer the early 60s - mid 70s. going through the albums I have realized that yes, herbie's solo work is outstanding, but his guest appearances on other artists albums are more significant at some points. however my favorite HH album still is "Fat Albert Rotunda" which came out in 1970 on Warner.

Here's a list of my personal essentials of guest appearances (theres many more, but these I consider the best):

- Donald Byrd: Royal Flush (1961) feat. Donald Byrd (trumpet), Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone), Herbie Hancock (piano), Butch Warren (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)
- Grant Green: Feelin' The Spirit (1962) feat. Grant Green (guitar), Herbie Hancock (piano), Butch Warren (bass), Billy Higgins (drums), Garvin Masseaux (tambourine)
- Freddie Hubbard Quintet: Hub-Tones (1962) feat. Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), James Spaulding (alto saxophone, flute), Herbie Hancock (piano), Reggie Workman (bass), Clifford Jarvis (drums)
- Miles Davis: Seven Steps To Heaven (1963) feat. Miles Davis (trumpet), Victor Feldman (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Frank Butler (drums), George Coleman (tenor saxophone), Herbie Hancock (piano), Tony Williams (drums)
- Donald Byrd: Band & Voices, A New Perspective (1963) feat. Donald Byrd (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Donald Best (vibes), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Herbie Hancock (piano), Butch Warren (bass), Lex Humphries (drums)
- Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil (1964) feat. Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Elvin Jones (drums)
- Miles Davis: E.S.P. (1965) feat. Miles Davis (trumpet), Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Tony Williams (drums), Ron Carter (bass), Herbie Hancock (piano)
- Bobby Hutcherson: Components (1965) feat. Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), James Spaulding (alto sax, flute), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes, marimba), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Joe Chambers (drums)
- Lee Morgan: Cornbread (1965) feat. Lee Morgan (trumpet), Jackie McLean (alto sax), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Larry Ridley (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)
- Miles Davis: Nefertiti (1967) feat. Miles Davis (Trumpet), Wayne Shorter (Tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (Piano), Ron Carter (Bass), Tony Williams (Drums)
- Miles Davis: Sorcerer (1967) feat. Miles Davis (trumpet), Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums), Frank Rehak (trombone), Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums), Willie Bobo (bongo), Bob Dorough (piano, vocals)
- Miles Davis: Filles De Kilimanjaro (1968) feat. Miles Davis (trumpet), Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano, electric piano), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums), Chick Corea (piano, electric piano), Dave Holland (bass)
- Roy Ayers: Stoned Soul Picnic (1968) feat. Charles Tolliver (trumpet), Hubert Laws (flute), Gary Bartz (alto sax), Roy Ayers (vibes), Herbie Hancock (piano), Miroslav Vitous (bass), Ron Carter (bass), Grady Tate (drums)
- Luis Gasca: The Little Giant (1969) feat. Luis Gasca (trumpet, flugelhorn), Hubert Laws (flute), Joe Henderson (tenor sax), Joe Gallardo (trombone), Mark Levine, Paul Griffin & Herbie Hancock (piano), Charles Rainey (bass), Bernard Purdie (drums), Mongo Santamaria (percussion)
- Freddie Hubbard: Red Clay (1970) feat. Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Lenny White (drums), Joe Henderson (tenor sax)
- Quincy Jones: Gula Matari (1970) feat. Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Danny Bank (bass & baritone sax), Hubert Laws (flute solos), Jerome Richardson (soprano sax solos), Freddie Hubbard, Danny Moore, Ernie Royal, Marvin Stamm & Gene Young (trumpet, flugelhorn), Wayne Andre, Benny Powell, Tony Studd (trombone), Al Grey (trombone solos), Eric Gale (guitar solos), Toots Thielemans (guitar & whistle), Herbie Hancock, Bob James & Bobby Scott (keyboard), Grady Tate (drums), Don Elliott (bass marimba), Jimmy Johnson & Warren Smith (percussion), Ray Brown (bass), Ron Carter & Richard Davis (bass), Major Holley (bass & voice solo), Milt Jackson (vibes), Seymour Barab, Kermit Moore, Lucien Schmit & Alan Shulman (cello), Valerie Simpson (vocal solos), Marilyn Jackson, Maretha Stewart, Barbara Massey, Hilda Harris (vocal)
- The Pointer Sisters: Steppin' (1975) feat. Nom Salisbury (piano), Gaylord Birch (drums, percussion), Chris Michie (guitar), Eugine Santini (bass), Wah Wah Watson (guitar), Herbie Hancock (clavinet), Bill Summers (percussion), Paul Jackson (bass), Jim Rothermel (clarinet), Stevie Wonder (electric piano), Anita Pointer, Ruth Pointer, Bonnie Pointer, June Pointer (vocals)

Herbie Hancock's own releases:

- Herbie Hancock: Takin' Off (1962) feat. Freddie Hubbard (trumpet, fluegelhorn), Dexter Gordon (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Butch Warren (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)
- Herbie Hancock: My Point Of View (1963) feat. Donald Byrd (trumpet), Grachan Moncur III (trombone), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Grant Green (guitar), Chuck Israels (bass), Anthony
Williams (drums)
- Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles (1964) feat. Freddie Hubbard (cornet), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Anthony Williams (drums)
- Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage (1965) feat. Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), George Coleman (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums)
- Herbie Hancock: Speak Like A Child (1968) feat. Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Mickey Roker (drums), Thad Jones (Fluegelhorn), Peter Phillips (bass trombone), Jerry Dodgion (alto flute)
- Herbie Hancock: Fat Albert Rotunda (1970) feat. Herbie Hancock (piano, elec piano), Joe Farrell (alto sax, tenor sax), Joe Henderson (alto flute, tenor sax), Johnny Coles (trumpet, flugelhorn), Joe Newman (trumpet), Ernie Royal (trumpet), Arthur Clark (baritone sax), Garnett Brown (trombone), Benny Powell (trombone), Ray Alonge (french horn), Billy Butler (guitar), Eric Gale (guitar), Jerry Jermott (electric bass), Buster Williams (acoustic & elec bass), Bernard Purdie (drums), Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums), George Devens (percussion)
- Herbie Hancock: Head Hunters (1974) feat. Herbie Hancock (Fender Rhodes Electric Piano, Hohner D6 Clavinet, ARP Odyssey Synthesizer, ARP Soloist Synthesizer, Pipes), Bennie Maupin (Soprano and Tenor Saxophone, Saxello, Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute), Paul Jackson (Electric Bass and Marimbula), Harvey Mason (Drums), Bill Summers (Congas, Shekere, Balafon, Agogo, Cabasa, Hindewho, Tambourine, Log Drum, Surdo, Gankoqui and Beer Bottle)
- The Headhunters: Survival of the Fittest (1975) feat. Bennie Maupin (saxello, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, acoustic piano, vocals), Bill Summers (djembe, log drum, cow bells, sleigh bells, guiro, maracas, quicy, balafon, tamborim, bongos, caxixi, shekere, gankoqui & agogo, berimbou, pandeira, hindewhu, conga drums, cabasa, marimbula, Balinese gongs, vocals), Mike Clark (drums, vocals), Paul Jackson (electric bass, lead vocal), Blackbird McKnight (electric guitar, vocals), Joyce Jackson (alto flute, flute), Zak Diouf (djembe), Baba Duru (bass drum, bell, percussion), Harvey Mason (percussion), The Pointer Sisters (vocals)

Herbie's my boy. All time. He's the one who got me into appreciating both jazz and funk. I admire his diversity and prolificness. He's a major innovator on piano and electric keyboards. He's never been afraid to push the envelope.

Foremost, I love Herbie on piano. My favorite HH period is his stay at Blue Note ('62 - '72) which actually ovelaps his tenure with Miles' Quintet ('62 - '69), toward the end of which he started using electronics. Then comes the HEADHUNTERS ('72 - '76) electronic funk phase and Mwandishi period of ('70 - '71) which brought a touch of funk to the jazz avant-garde. I equally enjoy his VSOP bands (back to acoustic) where he revists the music from those magnificent BN and Miles Davis sessions in various configuartions of trio, quartet and quintet.

He keeps on doing concurrent work on acoustic and electric. His latest is a live set with Roy Hargrove and Micahel Brecker: Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall; a spectacular review of the workof Miles Davis and JOhn Coltrane. Equally absorbing is last year's opus: Future 2 Future

Brother915 said:

Brother, thankx for the info...I'll definitely check those out.

"Man Child" as well.Herbie did some Great stuff with Bootsy,Bernie Worrell&SugarFoot among others.