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Superb 2008 Herbie Hancock Compilation With 2 Previously Unr

Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | UK | 11/26/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 2008 compilation finally gives an all-eras single-disc "best of" for Herbie Hancock - one of America's finest jazz pianists - and long overdue it is too. Here's a detailed breakdown of what track is from what and who played on them (68:45 minutes):



1. Maiden Voyage (from "Maiden Voyage", 1965 LP on Blue Note BST-84195)

2. Cantaloupe Island (from "Empyrean Isles", 1964 LP on Blue Note BST-84175)

[1 and 2 feature Freddie Hubbard on Trumpet, Ron Carter on Bass and Tony Williams on Drums]



3. Wiggle Waggle (from "Fat Albert Rotunda", 1970 LP on Warner Brothers 1834)



4. Chameleon (Edit, 7:35 minutes) (from "Head Hunters" by Head Hunters featuring Herbie Hancock, 1973 LP on Columbia 32731)

[features Bernie Maupin on Saxophones, Paul Jackson on Bass and Harvey Mason on Drums]



5. St. Louis Blues (from "Gershwin's World", 1998 CD on Verve 557 797-2)

[a W.C. Handy cover version featuring Stevie Wonder on Vocals and Harmonica]



6. Chan's Song (Never Said) (from "'Round Midnight", 1986 LP on Columbia 40464)

[co-written with Stevie Wonder and featuring Bobby McFerrin on Vocals, Ron Carter on Bass and Tony Williams on drums]



7. River (on "River: The Joni Letters", 2007 CD on Verve 9791)

[features UK soul singer Corrine Bailey Ray on Vocals with Wayne Shorter on Tenor and Soprano Saxophones. All tracks on the "River..." album are Joni Mitchell cover versions]



8. Don't Explain (from "Possibilities", 2005 on Vector 70013)

[features Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan on Vocals]



9. All Apologies (from "The New Standard", 1996 CD on Verve 527 715-2)

[a Nirvana/Kurt Cobain cover version featuring John Scofield on Electric Sitar]



10. Watermelon Man (as per 4)

[10 features the same musicians as 4, but this track also has John Scofield on Electric Sitar]



11. Rockit (Live) (from "Future 2 Future", 2002 DVD release, previously unreleased on CD)



BONUS TRACK:

12. River (Live) (from "Nissan Live Sets On Yahoo! Music" recorded in March 2006, previously unreleased on CD)

[12 features JONI MITCHELL covering her own song, she sings Lead Vocals. The band is Bob Sheppard on Sax, Lionel Loueke on Guitar, Marcus Miller on bass and Vinnie Colaluta on Drums]



The track choices in some cases are obvious "Maiden Voyage" and "Cantaloupe", but the clever sequencing and the vocal duets break up the listen from being entirely instrumental. Also despite the songs jumping from decade to decade, the remastered sound on all of them is superb - very clean and muscular. The only slightly superfluous song is a live version of his 1983 hit "Rockit!" rather than the preferred studio version, but that's easily forgotten when you hear what follows it - a lovely and unexpected appearance of Joni's "River" featuring the great lady herself. Although Mitchell's voice has been cracking in these last few years (please stop smoking Joni - you're too valuable to your loved ones to be lost to that crap) - she stills manages a really tender performance.



Funky and fun one moment ("Wiggle Waggle"), then tender and even sad the next ("Don't Explain"), this compilation is a surprisingly good listen - and it lasts all the way through to the end.



Hopefully "Then & Now..." will bring more music lovers to Herbie's four-decade long contribution to both jazz and the mainstream - excellent stuff and recommended."