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THE BLUE NOTE YEARS THE BEST OF

HERBIE HANCOCK 1. WATERMELON MAN (7:10)

Herbie Hancock—piano Dexter Gordon—tenor sax Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Butch Warren—bass Billy Higgins—drums Recorded on May 28,1962 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on TAKIN' OFF, Blue Note BST-84109

2. DRIFTIN'* (6:55) Herbie Hancock—piano Dexter Gordon—tenor sax Freddie Hubbard—fluglehorn Butch Warren—bass Billy Higgins—drums Recorded on May 28,1962 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on TAKIN' OFF, Blue Note BST-84109

3. MAIDEN VOYAGE (7:54) Herbie Hancock—piano George Coleman—tenor sax Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Ron Carter—bass Tony Williams—drums Recorded on March 17,1965 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on MAIDEN VOYAGE, Blue Note BST-84195

1 COMPACT

DIGITAL AUDIO

4. DOLPHIN DANCE (9:15) Herbie Hancock—piano George Coleman—tenor sax Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Ron Carter—bass Tony Williams—drums f Recorded on March 17,1965 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on MAI DEN VOYAGE, Blue Note BST-84195

5. ONE FINGER SNAP (7:15) Herbie Hancock—piano Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Ron Carter—bass Tony Williams—drums Recorded on June 17,1964 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on EMPYREAN ISLES, Blue Note BST-84175

6. CANTALOUPE ISLAND (5:30] Herbie Hancock—piano Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Ron Carter—bass Tony Williams—drums Recorded on June 17,1964 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on EMPYREAN ISLES, Blue Note BST-84175

7. RIOT (5:40) Herbie Hancock—piano Ron Carter—bass Mickey Roker—drums Thad Jones—fluglehorn Peter Phillips—bass trombone Jerry Dodgion—alto flute Recorded on March 6,1968 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on SPEAK LI KE A CHILD, Blue Note BST-84279

SPEAK LIKE A CHILD (7:40) Herbie Hancock—piano Ron Carter—bass Mickey Roker—drums Thad Jones—fluglehorn Peter Phillips—bass trombone Jerry Dodgion—alto flute Recorded on March 6,1968- in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on SPEAK LIKE A CHILD, Blue Note BST-84279

. KING COBRA* (6:52) Herbie Hancock—piano Hank Mobley—tenor sax Donald Byrd—trumpet Grachan Moncur III—trombone Chuck Israels—bass Tony Williams—drums Recorded on March 19,1963 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on MY POINT OF VIEW, Blue Note BST-84126

All compositions by HERBIE HANCOCK Produced by ALFRED LION Recording by RUDY VAN GELDER This compilation produced by MICHAEL CUSCUNA Digital transfers: RON MCMASTER Cover photo: FRANCIS WOLFF * Does not appear on LP configuration

BLUE NOTE is a registered trademark of Capitol Records, Inc. © ® 1988 Capitol Records, Inc. Manufactured by Capitol Records, Inc., a

subsidiary of Capitol Industries-EMI, Inc., Hollywood and Vine Streets, Hollywood, California. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication

is a violation of applicable laws. Printed in U.S. A.

CDP 7 91142 2 HERBIE HANCOCK

THE BEST OF HERBIE HANCOCK BLUE NOTE®

THE BLUE NOTE YEARS

THE BEST OF HERBIE HANCOCK 1. WATERMELON MAN (7:10)

Herbie Hancock—piano Dexter Gordon—tenor sax Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Butch Warren—bass Billy Higgins—drums Recorded on May 28,1962 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on TAKIN' OFF, Blue Note BST-84109

2. DRIFTIN'* (6:55) Herbie Hancock—piano Dexter Gordon—tenor sax

Freddie Hubbard—fluglehorn Butch Warren—bass Billy Higgins—drums Recorded on May 28,1962 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on TAKIN' OFF, Blue Note BST-84109

3. MAIDEN VOYAGE (7:54) Herbie Hancock—piano George Coleman—tenor sax Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Ron Carter—bass Tony Williams—drums Recorded on March 17,1965 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on MAIDEN VOYAGE, Blue Note BST-84195

4. DOLPHIN DANCE (9:15) Herbie Hancock—piano George Coleman—tenor sax Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Ron Carter—bass Tony Williams—drums Recorded on March 17,1965 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on MAIDEN VOYAGE, Blue Note BST-84195

5. ONE FINGER SNAP (7:15) 9. Herbie Hancock—piano Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Ron Carter—bass Tony Williams—drums Recorded on June 17,1964 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on EMPYREAN ISLES, Blue Note BST-84175

6. CANTALOUPE ISLAND (5:30) Herbie Hancock—piano Freddie Hubbard—trumpet Ron Carter—bass Tony Williams—drums Recorded on June 17,1964 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on EMPYREAN ISLES, Blue Note BST-84175

KING COBRA* (6:52) Herbie Hancock—piano Hank Mobley—tenor sax Donald Byrd—trumpet Grachan Moncur III—trombone Chuck Israels—bass Tony Williams—drums

Recorded on March 19,1963 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on MY POINT OF VIEW, Blue Note BST-84126

7. RIOT (5:40) Herbie Hancock—piano Ron Carter—bass Mickey Roker—drums Thad Jones—fluglehorn Peter Phillips—bass trombone Jerry Dodgion—alto flute Recorded on March 6,1968 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on SPEAK LI KE A CHILD, Blue Note BST-84279

8. SPEAK LIKE A CHILD (7:40) Herbie Hancock—piano Ron Carter—bass Mickey Roker—drums Thad Jones—fluglehorn Peter Phillips—bass trombone Jerry Dodgion—alto flute Recorded on March 6,1968 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Originally issued on SPEAK LI KE A CH I LD, Blue Note BST-84279

All compositions by HERBIE HANCOCK Produced by ALFRED LION Recording by RUDY VAN GELDER This compilation produced by MICHAEL CUSCUNA Digital transfers: RON MCMASTER Cover photo: FRANCIS WOLFF * Does not appear on LP configuration

The classic Blue Note albums which span the mid 1950's to late 1960's were recorded directly on to two track analog tape. No multitrack recording was used and consequently no mixing was required. Therefore, this CD was made by

transferring the one step analog master to digital.

BLUE NOTE is a registered trademark of Capitol Records, Inc. © © 1988 Capitol Records, Inc. Manufactured by Capitol Records, Inc., a

subsidiary of Capitol Industries-EMI, Inc., Hollywood and Vine Streets, Hollywood, California. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication

is a violation of applicable laws. Printed in U.S. A.

Bom into a musical family in Chicago on April 12, 1940, Herbie Hancock earned his college degree in engineering at Grinnell. But music for which he always had a gift would become his life’s work. It was Donald Byrd who brought

him to New York in January of1960 and introduced him to Blue Note Records. It was also Donald who prodded Herbie to show Mongo Santamaria his composition “Watermelon Man” on a band break one night, leading to Herbie’s first top ten record as a composer.

Herbie began recording for Blue Note as a leader in May of 1962. His records clearly chart his development and his varied musical interests. For most of the sixties, Herbie was part of the Miles Davis Quintet with Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. The team of Hancock-CarterWilliams, one of the most original and brilliant rhythm sections in the history of jazz, exists intermittently to this day. But Herbie was also a frequent Blue Note sideman contributing tunes as well as his playing to record dates that range from Donald Byrd’s A NEW PERSPEC¬ TIVE to Grachan Moncur’s SOME OTHER STUFF. Budding off his early inspirations Wynton Kelly and Bill Evans, Herbie explored Latin music, free music, modes, rhythm & blues'and other forms, incorporating elements of them naturally into his music rather than on an academic or contrite level.

Compositionally, he has created more jazz standards than anyone of his generation. Pianistically, he has a boundless knowledge of harmonies, a personal sense of rhythm, a magnifi¬ cent lyricism and a strikingly abundant flow of ideas in his solos.

Herbie Hancock is a film score composer, fusion innovator, dance music artist and many other things. But at the core of it all is his essential identity and that is jazz. Some of the highlights of his prolific career on Blue Note are what comprise this collection.