HERBIE HANCOCK — Maiden Voyage (review)

HERBIE HANCOCK — Maiden Voyage album cover Album · 1965 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Amilisom
First of all, I'd like to say that I got this album last Christmas and it remained in my car's CD player for six months. There's definitely a sense of magic to it.

This album is a very healthy combination of cool jazz, modal jazz, post-bop, and even has a slight tinge of avant-garde on the "Survival of the Fittest" track. Although this album was recorded around the time Herbie Hancock was playing with Miles Davis, Hancock's improvisation is slightly less aggressive. In this album, a good deal of his solos ("The Eye of the Hurricane" being an exception) have lyrical qualities to them rather than long, fast phrases. In "Survival of the Fittest" he actually almost abandons the jazz solo sound and starts pounding out phrases that sound like something from a 20th century classical piano piece.

The track "Maiden Voyage" is possibly the most memorable of the whole album. Every time I listen to it I am amazed at how well the musicians are able to keep time. To enhance the spacey feel of the track, Tony Williams frequently changes his drum rhythms from triplets to straight eighths to quarter note triplets in unexpected ways. It really confuses me while listening and I have trouble finding beat one. During Freddie Hubbard and Hancock's solos there are moments even more out-of-time where the soloist plays a fast, light impressionistic pattern and the rhythm section leaves the tempo all together to join in the dreamy feel.

Definitely one of the best jazz albums of all time.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Hummingbird and Four Flowers : Turntable and Harmonium Solo Live Jazz Related Improv/Composition
OTOMO YOSHIHIDE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Water Music Avant-Garde Jazz
IVO PERELMAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Lost Chord Jazz Related Improv/Composition
HENRY KAISER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Hackensack West Post-Fusion Contemporary
ANTHONY WILSON
Buy this album from MMA partners
Golem & Other Tales World Fusion
SAM REIDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

"Miles Between" // by Shawn Schlogel & Nancy Erickson Lamont
NANCY ERICKSON LAMONT
js· 4 hours ago
Mature Hybird Talking
FRANK GRATKOWSKI
js· 1 day ago
Perspective (Peace & Love)
ISAIAH COLLIER
js· 2 days ago
T-SQUARE 45th Anniversary Celebration Concert & Tour 2023 @Zepp Nagoya ?CLIMAX?
T-SQUARE
js· 2 days ago
Cravo E Canela (Cloves & Cinnamon)
LEE RITENOUR
js· 3 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed