Herbie Hancock The Herbie Hancock Box (Columbia Legacy) 2002 / 4 CD

When I think of Herbie Hancock’s years on Columbia Records from 1973-88, I think primarily of his funk-propelled fusion albums of the mid-‘70s, Headhunters, Thrust and Manchild, and his 1980s experiments in electronica, Future Shock and Perfect Machine. However, as this collection makes clear, Hancock also spent a good portion of the period playing acoustic music with longtime musical pals like Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.

The first two discs of this four-CD set are devoted to this acoustic, straightahead material, much of it gleaned from albums that were originally released only in Japan. Often performing under the group name of VSOP, Hancock and friends revisit tunes from their time with Miles Davis, and reinterpret some of Herbie’s compositions from his ‘60s Blue Note dates. He appears in solo, duo, trio, quartet and quintet configurations, primarily in concert settings, and the music is as good as live jazz gets.

The second half of this boxed set showcases the funk and electronic music that made Hancock a best selling crossover artist. I personally passed on most of the post-Manchild albums, and initially dismissed some of the choices selected for inclusion here. However, The Box introduced me to some interesting late-70s/early ‘80s tracks with which I was unfamiliar, like “Calypso” from Mr. Hands and “Spider” from Secrets. And of course, there’s the video-propelled mega-hit, “Rockit.”

Herbie Hancock has always been a musical adventurer, a “Chameleon” (to borrow the title of one of his best known pieces included here) in search of new surroundings and new challenges. The Herbie Hancock Box is a document of some of his most inspired journeys.
Introduction To Maiden Voyage
Maiden Voyage (Live)
Para Oriente
Harvest Time
The Sorcerer
Diana (Live)
Finger Painting
'Round Midnight
The Eye Of The Hurricane
Domo
Dolphin Dance
Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away) (Live)
Eighty-One (Live)
Milestones
Stella By Starlight/On Green Dolphin Street (Live)
Red Clay
Watermelon Man
Butterfly
Death Wish (Main Title)
Actual Proof
Sun Touch
4 A.M.
Come Running To Me
People Music
Chameleon
Stars In Your Eyes
Rockit
Calypso
Satisfied With Love
Karabali
Spider
Nobu
Maiden Voyage/P. Bop