Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles
Piano – Herbie Hancock [click here to see more vinyl featuring Herbie Hancock]
Bass – Ron Carter [click here to see more vinyl featuring Ron Carter]
Cornet – Freddie Hubbard [click here to see more vinyl featuring Freddie Hubbard]
Drums – Anthony Williams
Written by Herbie Hancock
1 LP, standard sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Optimal Media GmbH
Label : Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series
Original Label : Blue Note
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder on June 17, 1964 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Produced by Alfred Lion
Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Lacquer cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Cover design by Reid Miles
Photography by Francis Wolff
Liner Notes by Nora Kelly
Originally released in November 1964
Reissued in March 2023
Tracks :
Side A:
- One Finger Snap
- Oliloqui Valley
Side B:
- Cantaloupe Island
- The Egg
Reviews :
“My Point of View and Inventions and Dimensions found Herbie Hancock exploring the fringes of hard bop, working with a big band and a Latin-flavored percussion section, respectively. On Empyrean Isles, he returns to hard bop, but the results are anything but conventional. Working with cornetist Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams -- a trio just as young and adventurous as he was -- Hancock pushes at the borders of hard bop, finding a brilliantly evocative balance between traditional bop, soul-injected grooves, and experimental, post-modal jazz. Hancock's four original concepts are loosely based on the myths of the Empyrean Isles, and they are designed to push the limits of the band and of hard bop. Even "Cantaloupe Island," well-known for its funky piano riff, takes chances and doesn't just ride the groove. "The Egg," with its minimal melody and extended solo improvisations, is the riskiest number on the record, but it works because each musician spins inventive, challenging solos that defy convention. In comparison, "One Finger Snap" and "Oliloqui Valley" adhere to hard bop conventions, but each song finds the quartet vigorously searching for new sonic territory with convincing fire. That passion informs all of Empyrean Isles, a record that officially established Hancock as a major artist in his own right.” AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Ratings:
AllMusic 5 / 5 , Discogs 4.73 / 5