Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock is the only musician to emerge after 1960 who gets included in the 22 CDs ofthe Ken Burns Collection, and it's an inclusion that's inevitably controversial. As obviously talented as Hancock is, he isn't a great soloist or composer or a major innovator. Instead, he's had the ability to be on the cutting edge of trends, often initiating rather than following them, and he can create memorably catchy riffs that have led to enduring popularity for some of his tunes. That ability is apparent from the outset here with "Watermelon Man," an infectious Latin soul groove featuring bop tenor greatDexter Gordon, that's set deep in the Blue Note ethos of the early 1960s. "Cantaloupe Island" and "Maiden Voyage" added floating rhythms and a cool spaciousness to the style, and with the contributions of trumpeterFreddie Hubbardand drummerTony Williamsmay represent Hancock's most durable work. The 1968 sextet of "Speak Like a Child" signals Hancock's expanding interest in texture with bass trombone and alto flute, an inclination that finds further expression in 1969's "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" byMwandishi, his first band to incorporate electronics. Synthesizers and funk rhythms dominate the Headhunters' 1973 "Chameleon," while "Actual Proof" demonstrates just how creatively Hancock could use layered keyboards. The synthesizers and programming reach their limit on the 1983 hit "Rockit," a studio product that shows just how far Hancock would travel from his original premises. Ironically, it's the earlier material here--especially Hancock's acoustic Blue Note period--that sounds most contemporary.--Stuart Broomer