HERBIE HANCOCK
Empyrean Isles (Blue Note)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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For this, his fourth Blue Note session as a leader, Herbie Hancock was accompanied by his bandmates in the Miles Davis Quintet, Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums), along with Freddie Hubbard, whose instrument of choice for these tracks was the cornet. The four tracks on the original Blue Note release ranged from the hot bop of "One Finger Snap" to the moody improv of "The Egg," with tilts toward Ellingtonian swing and classic blues in between. Empyrean Isles is widely recognized as a classic today, a key element of Hancock's impressive, and impressively diverse, discography.

When it was initially released on CD, the set was augmented with alternate takes of "One Finger Snap" and "Oliloqui Valley." This Rudy Van Gelder Edition release includes the bonus cuts, and offers 24 bit resolution and sound re-engineered by Van Gelder. I don't have the 1985 CD on hand for an A/B, but there's no denying that the sound here is superb, and Van Gelder's personal involvement in this series makes it well worth considering the upgrade even if the '85 edition is already in your collection.

The Hall of Fame quality promise of these four great musicians is apparent in this album. Although some 35 years have passed since this music was created, it's still fresh and alive, with new revelations and inspirations available even to those who've heard it time after time.

Track List: One Finger Snap * Olioqui Valley * Cantaloupe Island * The Egg * One Finger Snap (alternate take) * Olioqui Valley (alternate take)

© 1999 - Shaun Dale