Herbie Hancock
Takin' Off (Blue Note 46506)

Growing up in the generation that knew Herbie Hancock mainly from "Rockit" (and I'd be willing to bet that a good percentage of people my age would still credit him with writing "Axel F" as well), it was tough for me to rewire my brain to understand where the man came from and what he did prior to breakdancing.

Now, with 15 years of serious jazz listening under my belt, I can actually appreciate "Rockit" as a great song in the context of Herbie's career. I can't say I'd follow him everywhere (late-90s Headhunters? NO thanks) but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more innovative jazz pianist than Herbie Hancock, especially his 60s stuff.

His work with the Miles Davis Quintet is what made him a superstar, but before that (and during, actually) he made his mark with a bunch of Blue Note sessions.

Takin' Off, from 1962, was his debut as a leader, and it kicks off with one of his signature tunes, "Watermelon Man," which subsequently became a jazz staple, especially in Latin jazz circles thanks to Mongo Santamaria's "mongo" hit cover version.

"Watermelon Man" is the album's clear "hit," and it's a mighty song, though a bit subdued if you're accustomed to Mongo's version (sort of like how "Cantaloupe Island" sounds almost ancient if you know Us3's "Cantaloop").

None of the remaining songs quite matches the ingenuity and catchy brilliance of the first cut, but it's all solid "cool" hard bop that prefigures the Miles Quintet sound by a few years.

Hancock is on piano, with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Dexter Gordon on tenor sax, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The mood is relaxed, a reasonably straight-ahead jazz session that never gets too far above strollin' tempo.

"Three Bags Full" is a melodic mid-tempo tune with a Wayne Shorter-era Jazz Messengers vibe, with some particularly crisp playing from Hubbard. "Empty Pockets" is less memorable as a melody, approximating Horace Silver after a stroke, but shows off some great comping from Herbie.

"The Maze" is my second favorite track on the CD behind "Watermelon Man," sounding sort of like "The Odd Couple Theme" reimagined as a New Orleans funeral march, with a great melody and cool feel. "Driftin'" is a strollin'-around-at-5pm sort of song, mainly serving as a showcase for Herbie's bluesy gospel chops.

"Alone And I" is an introspective ballad not too far away from < ahref="/records/E/billevans_conversationswithmyself.html">Bill Evans's work in the same period, and is Dexter Gordon's best moment on the album.

All together, a fine Blue Note session that's hovering just above "typical" and a little ways away from "classic." The album is included in its entirety on the Herbie Complete Blue Note 60s Sessions box set. An amusing line (amusing now, that is) from the original liner notes reads: "Much has been written in the past couple of years about the overcrowded condition of the jazz record market, and of the tendency of record companies to introduce too many new talents too soon." Too many talents like Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, Butch Warren, and Billy Higgins? Jazz would be lucky as fuck to have "too many" of these guys around today, that's for sure.

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Review by Lula Babcock