Disc: 1
1969 "Fat Albert Rotunda"
On this album Hancock changes his vogue radically as well as takes instrumental soul music rather than jazz equally the dry reason of his compositions. Many songs besides hint at his forthcoming jazz-funk vogue that he fully approached a few years later. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 perfect illustration of classic songs, such equally "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" (which after turned upwards besides on the 1978 Quincy Jones album, Sounds...and Stuff Like That!! inwards a to a greater extent than funk-esque type song) as well as "Jessica" (which after turned upwards on the 1977 Hancock album, VSOP: The Quintet.)
The jazz earth by as well as large looks at Herbie Hancock's 1973 jazz-funk opus Head Hunters equally the keyboardist's kickoff foray into combining the earth of funk, someone as well as R&B rhythms alongside jazz improvisation, exactly inwards fact it was 4 years before alongside Fat Albert Rotunda that Herbie showed how funky jazz music could actually be. Fat Albert Rotunda came nigh when Hancock was tapped to compose to a greater extent than or less soundtrack music for the "Fat Albert" boob tube show, after which he ended upwards alongside a amount album's worth of material. It would endure his kickoff of 3 albums released on Warner Brothers, marker a brusk halt betwixt his tenure at Blue Note as well as his longtime habitation at Columbia Records. There are, of course, major differences betwixt Head Hunters as well as Fat Albert Rotunda, the head ones existence the heavy run of synthesizers as well as exclusively a unmarried horn thespian on the former, land Hancock employed the Fender Rhodes as well as a amount horn department on the latter. This gives Fat Albert Rotunda a to a greater extent than Stax/Muscle Shoals experience to the funk than Head Hunters, exactly at that spot are nonetheless the basic sensibilities at work: that jazz as well as funk could non exclusively co-exist, exactly besides thrive creatively.
And the album is non exclusively a jazz-funk experiment, exactly besides shows that Hancock was nonetheless at a creative high point, i he had been riding since his Blue Note debut Takin' Off inwards 1962. While at that spot are funky tracks similar "Fat Mama," which must cry for keep blown away a for sure segment of the jazz community (critics as well as musicians alike) when it was released, at that spot are besides to a greater extent than modern jazz-oriented tunes similar the phenomenal "Tell Me Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Bedtime Story," which other as well as then the funky drum business is to a greater extent than inwards business alongside much of the someone jazz happening at the fourth dimension [listen to both tracks above].
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The line-up for the session is a swell one, for most of the tape it is a powerhouse septet, alongside the likes of Johnny Coles, Joe Henderson as well as Albert "Tootie" Heath leading the way. For the kickoff as well as concluding tracks, the grouping is expanded into a much larger i - i of the kickoff "funky orchestras" perchance - alongside the improver of such soon-to-be '70s jazz funksters equally Joe Farrell, Eric Gale as well as the legendary funky drummer Bernard Purdie. Everyone's playing is on-point, exactly to a greater extent than importantly it sounds similar everyone is having a grand old fourth dimension playing this music, which is the whole damn cry for inwards the end, is it not?
After Fat Albert Rotunda Hancock would shape his "Mwandishi" ring - which was kickoff a sextet as well as and then a septet - as well as would explore a really specific variety of electronic jazz for the kickoff time. The grouping would appear on Mwandishi as well as Crossings (on Warner Brothers), equally good equally on Sextant (his kickoff tape for Columbia), as well as these 3 records actually stand upwards on their ain inwards both Hancock's discography as well as the history of jazz. They are inwards a genre all their own. After Sextant, Hancock would come inwards into a whole novel realm of popularity as well as critical acclaim alongside Head Hunters, exactly i head to Fat Albert Rotunda as well as you lot tin hear the roots of that music as well as glimpse the vision of the human being who would opened upwards up a novel realm for musicians to explore as well as jazz aficionados to enjoy.
Track Listings:
1. Wiggle Waggle
2. Fat Mama
3. Tell Me Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Bedtime Story
4. Oh! Oh! Here He Comes
5. Jessica
6. Fat Albert Rotunda
7. Lil' Brother
8. Wiggle Waggle (Mono)
9. Fat Mama (Mono)
Personnel:
Herbie Hancock — piano, electrical piano
Joe Henderson — tenor sax, alto flute
Joe Farrell — tenor sax (uncredited inwards master LP release)
Garnett Brown — trombone
Johnny Coles — trumpet, flugelhorn
Joe Newman — trumpet (uncredited inwards master LP release)
Buster Williams — electrical & acoustic bass
Albert "Tootie" Heath, Bernard Purdie — drums (Purdie was uncredited inwards master LP release)
Eric Gale — guitar (uncredited inwards master LP release)
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