Herbie Hancock and Friends - Spotlight (Day 2)

Good day. After the release of Mwandishi in 1971, Herbie and his group returned in 1972 with the release of Crossings. Essentially the same group returns with the addition of Patrick Gleeson on synthesizer. According to Wikipedia, Gleeson originally was supposed to set-up his synthesizer for Hancock to play but after being impressed with Gleeson, Herbie asked him to join the group. There are some additional instruments in play so I'll list them for the sake of being thorough.

Herbie Hancock - Electric piano, piano, Mellotron, percussion.

Bennie Maupin - Soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, piccolo and alto flute, percussion.

Eddie Henderson - Trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion.

Julian Priester - Tenor, alto and bass trombones, percussion.

Patrick Gleeson - Synthesizer

Buster Williams - Double and electric bass, percussion.

Victor Pantoja - Congas.

Billy Hart - Drums and percussion.

With a runtime of around 46 minutes, we again have 3 tracks of originals from within the group. The masterpiece "Sleeping Giant" is a nearly 25 minute Hancock tune followed by "Quasar" and "Water Torture" that are both Maupin tunes. "Sleeping Giant" with it's multiple changes, tempos and sounds is my favorite tune of the 3. But that's not to take away from the remainder of the album. Words from me will never do it justice - so if for some reason you're unfamiliar, tap into this album for sure. 

The following spring of 1973, the group returned for the third album of the Mwandishi group and we're on the precipice of my all-time favorite era of music. Sextant pushed the envelope in a far out, experimental kind of way. The same group returns with the addition of Buck Clarke on percussion. 

Herbie Hancock - Piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Mellotron, synthesizer, percussion.

Bennie Maupin - Soprano sax, bass clarinet, piccolo flute, percussion.

Eddie Henderson - Trumpet and flugelhorn.

Julian Priester - Tenor, alto and bass trombones, percussion.

Patrick Gleeson - Synthesizer

Buster Williams - Double and electric bass.

Buck Clarke - Congas and bongos.

Billy Hart - Drums and percussion.

Again, 3 tunes here with a runtime of around 40 minutes. We open with the very experimental "Rain Dance" featuring various quirky sounds and effects. Afterward we have "Hidden Shadows" which is a more accessible tune with Williams and Hart maintaining a tight rhythm throughout. Lastly we have "Hornets" which is a 20+ minute tune that features various sounds from Maupin from kazoo to saxophone - and at times fittingly sounds like a swarm of hornets. 

Around the same time the group released Sextant, it recorded Eddie Henderson's debut album, Realization, at Patrick Gleeson's Different Fur Studios. I've read different things about Eddie's solo work and ultimately I think it is underappreciated. Throughout this series we'll look at 7 of his albums and I feel they're all fantastic in their own right. The same group returns, aside from Priester, with the addition of Lenny White on drums. Lenny is more than deserving of his own post and if we don't go over his albums here, I'll put something together separately. 

Eddie Henderson - Trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn.

Bennie Maupin - Flute, alto flute, ball clarinet, tenor and stritch saxophones.

Herbie Hancock - Rhodes and Univox electric pianos.

Patrick Gleeson - Organ and synthesizer.

Buster Williams - Double and electric bass.

Billy Hart - Drums and percussion.

Lenny White - Drums.

The opening 2 tracks, "Scorpio-Libra" and "Mars In Libra" really could be 1 nearly 20 minute tune. They carry the same rhythm throughout with Williams, Hart and White setting the table for the group. Equal parts rhythmic and experimental, Henderson, Maupin and Hancock play off of each other while Gleeson pipes in some additional strangeness on synthesizer. The theme continues with the Maupin tune "Anua" followed by a brief tune in "Spiritual Awakening." We close with Revelation/Realization which is another 8 minutes of experimental fusion at the highest level. 

That will do it for today's post but it won't be the last we hear from the Mwandishi sound. While 1973 also saw the release of the Headhunters album with a mostly new supporting cast and direction for Hancock - we're not finished covering some albums that encompass more of the free sound we heard here. I'll put that together on Monday. Have a great weekend and thanks for being here.