Herbie Hancock Archives - Page 2 of 2

Herbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage

Bobby Hutcherson’s version of the oceanic classic ‘Maiden Voyage’ shore is beautiful, but for me the original is unassailable. Concept albums are generally associated with rock music, but Herbie Hancock was one step ahead of The Beatles. Empyrean Isles (1964) is loosely based around Ancient Greek mythology, and Maiden Voyage (1965) is an album about the sea. Bookended by pieces that would become standards, ‘Maiden Voyage’ and ‘Dolphin Dance’, the record even features sea-based poetry as its sleeve notes. You might call them liner notes.

Bobby Hutcherson – Maiden Voyage

In his last post, Dan focussed on the fantastic track ‘Ghetto Lights’ from Bobby Hutcherson’s debut album as leader on Blue Note. Today’s post is another offering from the master of vibes, this time from his third album Happenings (1966) which saw him taking more of a commercial approach in comparison to his previous two albums which were much freer and avant-garde.