Herbie Hancock THE ESSENTIAL...

Personnel: Herbie Hancock (vocals, piano, electric piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, synthesizer, mini-Moog synthesizer, Oberheim synthesizer, hand claps, background vocals); Herbie Hancock (vocoder, programming); Greg Walker (vocals); Wah-Wah Watson (guitar); Joe Henderson (flute, tenor saxophone); Jerry Dodgion (alto flute); Dexter Gordon, George Coleman, Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone); Johnny Coles, Thad Jones (flugelhorn); Julian Priester (trombone, alto trombone); Garnett Brown (trombone); Peter Phillips (bass trombone); Michael Beinhorn (mini-Moog synthesizer, electronic drums); Buster Williams (acoustic bass); Ron Carter (upright bass); Jaco Pastorius, Paul Jackson , Bill Laswell (electric bass, bass guitar); Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington (electric bass); Billy Hart (drums, percussion); Mike Clarke , Albert "Tootie" Heath, Mickey Roker, Roy McCurdy, Billy Higgins , James Levi (drums); Raul Rekow (congas); Daniel Ponce (bata); Baba Duru Oshun (tabla); Sheila Escovedo (percussion); Grandmixer D.ST (turntables); Stevie Wonder (vocals, harmonica); Bennie Maupin (alto flute, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Freddie Hubbard (trumpet, cornet); Eddie Henderson, Miles Davis (trumpet); Alphonse Mouzon (keyboards, drums); Harvey Mason, Sr. , Terri Lyne Carrington, Tony Williams (drums); Bill Summers (percussion).
Liner Note Author: Bob Belden.
A bold jazz innovator whose stylistic range is rivaled only by his mentor, Miles Davis, keyboardist/composer/bandleader Herbie Hancock receives Columbia/Legacy's ESSENTIAL treatment on this excellent 2006 two-disc set. Although whittling the finest moments of Hancock's strikingly eclectic, decades-spanning career down to a mere 20 tracks is an exercise in futility, the collection reveals admirable results within those constraints, offering up tunes from 1962 to 2000. Among the many brilliant moments on this comp are Hancock's swinging hard-bop classics "Watermelon Man" and "Cantaloupe Island" (both featuring ace trumpeter Freddie Hubbard), the fiercely funky "Chameleon," and the groundbreaking electro-pop hit "Rockit." Although many of Hancock's individual albums are essential in their own right, and the four-disc HERBIE HANCOCK BOX delves deeper into his daunting catalogue, this compilation is the perfect introduction to the stunning stylistic and technical breadth of the pioneering artist's output.

• Format: CD
• Released: 2/28/2006
• Genre: Pop