Ahead of its Time
W. Bradley | Louisville, KY United States | 05/26/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I purchased this album shortly after it came out and it was a bit much to soak in initially. I was in college studying music and really into synths and I got an earful on this album. In addition this album predates Headhunters in which Herbie combines synths with the funk. Most of my friends couldn't dig Crossings because Herbie was searching and the grooves, timbres, moods and tempos constantly shifted. This album required serious listening. I recently gave it a listen and I re-discovered compositions and sounds of incredible beauty. My favorite tune is Quasar. It is strange how this tune sounds like it could be used in someone's SciFi space thriller today and it would still sound futuristic. Awesome!"
Jazzman, Louisville, Ky
James K. Stewart | Louisville, Ky USA | 08/15/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What I don't understand is why the title cut "Crossings", an
almost 3 minute composition that I have only found on Herbie's
"Treasure Chest" double lp set (vinyl only) is not included in
either this cd, or "The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings"? It's
from the same session and is certainly essential listening, yet
it's not included. Go figure. This is Herbie at his way out
best. Timeless. My favorite Mwandishi group recording. Hancock,
Bennie maupin, Julian Priester, Eddie Henderson all are just in-
credible on this. Mind bending and brilliant music that was WAY
ahead of its time. It's a shame this band only made 3 records
as the Mwandishi band led by Hancock. For even further brilliant
work by Priester (trombone), check out "Love, Love" on ECM, which
also has Patrick Gleeson prominently featured, or Bennie Maupin's
"Jewel in The Lotus", also on ECM, a staggeringly beautiful session
that includes Hancock, Buster Williams, and Billy Hart from the
Mwandishi group. And even more brilliant work from the Mwandishi
group (minus Priester) is now available on Eddie Henderson's cd
"Anthology: vol. 2, The Capricorn Years", from Soul Brother Records,
which includes the complete recordings of his two long unavailable
masterpieces "Realization" and "Inside Out", which both include the
fabulous Patrick Gleeson on these mind-blowing sessions. All of these
magnificent recordings are desert island discs for open minds and
ears.
"
Hope it's not forgotten
William J. Feuer | 03/18/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a fabulous album by Herbie Hancock and his 1970s African inspired sextet - which became a septet with Gleeson on synthesizers - that I hope is not forgotten. I bought the record more than 30 years ago in college (after first hearing Sextant), lost it in 1992 courtesy of Hurricane Andrew and just rebought it on CD. I love it. There are 3 tracks. The first, Sleeping Giant written by Hancock, is a heavily percussioned 25min jazz composition with great piano and trombone solos, followed by a wailing energetic Bennie Maupin on saxophone.
But it's the two Maupin compositions on the B side (not that CDs have B sides) that I really love. They kind of connect to me - I wouldn't really consider listening to them separately. Haunting hypnotic piano figures behind brass harmonies with synthesizers reaching out to the edge of space are suddenly cloven by a Buster Williams baseline and then it's jazz again, for awhile. Instruments overlay on top of instruments building to another space-shot. Billy Hart plays with phenomenal subtlety and intelligence through all this (I don't think Herbie has played with a better drummer). Over it all floats the ghost of Miles, channeled by Eddie Henderson (not that Miles was dead when this was recorded, but he wasn't playing in Hancock's sextet).
A number of other reviewers on other sites prefer Sextant to Crossings. I listen to a lot of 20th century classical music now. I haven't heard Sextant in more than 15 years, but for whatever it's worth (maybe nothing) I'd make Crossings an approachable Berg to Sextant's more cerebral Schoenberg.
It was interesting to hear this group reprise their stuff on the VSOP live album, though for me it didn't quite work..."
Track Listings (3) - Disc #1