Herbie Hancock V.S.O.P. The Quintet - 1977 "Tempest In The Colosseum"

Herbie Hancock V.S.O.P. The Quintet - 1977 Tempest In The Colosseum

Only five days after The Quintet concerts in California, V.S.O.P. was caught live again on tape in Tokyo's Den-En Colosseum for another Japanese CBS/Sony release. "Tempest" is a good description, for this CD contains more volatile ensemble playing than its Columbia predecessor; clearly some tighter bonding took place since the trans-Pacific flight. The notion that Freddie Hubbard is filling in for Miles Davis in a reunion of his old quintet does not have much relevance, for Hubbard is always his own man, in command of his reverberant tone quality and idiosyncratic flurries that owe very little to Miles. Only "Lawra" is duplicated from The Quintet, and there is the additional treat of hearing Hubbard's masterpiece "Red Clay" performed to a turn by this crack quintet.

Tempest in the Colosseum was recorded on July 23, 1977 in Tokyo's Den-En Colosseum. Musicians in this landmark performance were Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Tony Williams on drums, Ron Carter on bass, and Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano saxophones. The recording was originally released in late 1977, as a Japan-only release issued on the Columbia label.

Personnel

Ron Carter – bass
Herbie Hancock – keyboards, piano, synthesizer, vocals
Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Tony Williams – drums

Track listing

1."Eye of the Hurricane" (Hancock) - 16:38
2."Diana" (Shorter) - 4:31
3."Eighty-One" (Carter) - 13:08
4."Maiden Voyage" (Hancock) - 11:55
5."Lawra" (Williams) - 8:23
6."Red Clay" (Hubbard) - 14:15

Enjoy!

Herbie Hancock Trio - 1977 "The Herbie Hancock Trio"

Herbie Hancock Trio - 1977 The Herbie Hancock Trio

The first V.S.O.P. tour triggered a flood of recording activity in July 1977, but only a fraction of it was released in the U.S. This session, recorded in San Francisco just days before the Quintet concerts in Berkeley and San Diego, finds Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams mixing it up sans the horns -- and the results are more reflective and cerebral than the full Quintet concerts. Hancock is thoroughly in control of the agenda while Williams throws in those meter-fracturing flurries that keep everyone on their toes. There is a startling re-interpretation of "Speak Like a Child," which is significantly tougher and busier than the wistful Blue Note version, as well as challenging Hancock originals like "Watcha Waiting For" and "Watch It." This is uncompromising acoustic jazz, commercial anathema in the electronic '70s -- and thus, only Japan got to hear it.

Herbie Hancock Trio is an album by Herbie Hancock released in September 21, 1977 in Japan. It features performances by Hancock with Ron Carter and Tony Williams. It is the first of two albums with the same title—this album was released in 1977, and a second Herbie Hancock Trio was released in 1982.

Track listing

1. "Watch It" - 12:25
2. "Speak Like a Child" - 13:06
3. "Watcha Waitin' For" - 6:20
4. "Look" - 7:42
5. "Milestones" (Davis) - 6:40

Personnel

Herbie Hancock – piano
Ron Carter – bass
Tony Williams – drums

Herbie Hancock - 1975 "Flood"

Herbie Hancock - 1975 Flood

Flood is the eighteenth album by Herbie Hancock. It was originally released only in Japan in 1975 as a double LP, and features the Headhunters Band, performing their hits from the Head Hunters, Thrust and Man-Child albums. It originally received a Japanese CD release & finally got a US release in 2014 on the Wounded Bird label.

Track listing

All compositions by Herbie Hancock except as indicated

"Introduction/Maiden Voyage" – 7:59
"Actual Proof" – 8:28
"Spank-A-Lee" (Mike Clark, Hancock, Paul Jackson) – 8:47
"Watermelon Man" – 5:50
"Butterfly" (Hancock, Bennie Maupin) – 12:44
"Chameleon" (Hancock, Jackson, Harvey Mason, Maupin) – 10:24
"Hang Up Your Hang Ups" (Hancock, Jackson, Melvin "Wah-Wah" Ragin) – 19:54

Personnel

Herbie Hancock – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, ARP Odyssey, ARP Soloist, ARP String Ensemble
Bennie Maupin – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, saxello, bass clarinet, flute, percussion
Dewayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight – guitar
Paul Jackson – Fender bass
Mike Clark – drum set
Bill Summers – congas, percussion