Herbie Hancock: Takin’ Off
The budget Jazz Masters label may not appeal to audiophiles, but it provides desirable items of classic jazz that boast coloured vinyl and the photography of Jean-Pierre Leloir, William Claxton and Francis Wolff. On the original Blue Note sleeve of Takin’ Off, the bespectacled Herbie Hancock looks like a chemistry student peering at Walter White’s open zipper. The Jazz Images reissue shows a fatigued kid on a school trip.
Looks deceive. Hancock delivered no less than two instant hard-bop standards on a mature debut as a leader that further hinted at groundbreaking things (Empyrean Isles) to come. There are worse ways to start a career. Hancock’s has taken him from the second great quintet of Miles Davis to fusion, chart hits (Rockit) and Joni Mitchell interpretations.
Both classics – the Caribbean-tinged Watermelon Man and the oft-covered mid-tempo blues Driftin’ – have vibrantly stood the test of time. The poised and buoyant Hancock holds his own beside the flourishing veteran Dexter Gordon and ace trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pushing Gordon into a zone on the McCoy Tyner-inspired The Maze that is marked by some of his more outré, Coltrane-ish saxophone techniques. It’s a cherry on top of a top-notch hard-bop cake.
Discography
Watermelon Man; Three Bags Full; Empty Pockets (18.25) – The Maze; Driftin’; Alone And I (19.55)
Hancock (p); Freddie Hubbard (t); Dexter Gordon (ts); Bob Cranshaw (b); Billy Higgins (d). New Jersey, 28 May 1962.
Jazz Images 37192
Raffaele Fiengo: Recall
Evidently, Milanese alto-saxophonist Raffaele Fiengo holds the value of dynamics in high regard, alternating between forest fires and rippling views on Recall, a progressive work inspired by classic post-bop and modernist classical music. The title track is defined by punchy staccato patterns and saxplosions, while Fluid is all about gentle poetic musings.
Fiengo’s fluent mingling of the high and low register of his horn is striking. At one point, he veers towards Eric Dolphy’s Hat And Beard and further ahead is seemingly intrigued by Kate Bush’s song structures. Both threads are worked out by a strong all-Italian quartet on a convincing debut.
Discography
Recall; Arthur; Green Strawberry; Fluid (I Movement); Obsessive (II Movement); Time Warp; Breakout; Journey Into The Soul; Excess (solo); Excess (39.31)
Fiengo (as); Thomas Umbasca (p); Enrico Palmieri (b); Antonio Marmora (d). Arezzo, 11 & 12 October 2024.
GleAM Records 7042
Waan: We Want Waan
Like most countries, Holland has its share of jazz artists that follow their extra-curricular passions, notably saxophonist Benjamin Herman (punk, world) and Bruut (power pop, surf, Morricone). Add Waan and file under “From Kraftwerk to Radiohead and everything in between”.
The core of Waan is saxophonist Bart Wirtz and keyboardist Emiel van Rijthoven. We Want Waan builds on the promise of debut Echo Echo, throwing rap, electro and house into the mix. Wirtz provides jazz tinges, his sinuous lines tying together hard party and hypnotic minimalism.
I like the 21st-century re-imagination in Mirrors of Eddie Harris. I like new-wave banger Why Didn’t You Get Me. What’s not to like about this layered production that strikes a delicate balance between club vibe and experimentation?
Discography
We Want Waan; Talking Trees; Mirrors; Why Didn’t You Get Me; In Dirt; Moto No Oto; In Doubt; Been Blue; In Dreams; Lodge Texas; Cecilyum (41.37)
Bart Wirtz (s, f, kyb, v, arr); Emiel van Rijthoven (kyb, pc, prog); Matteo Muzzù (b); Mark Schilders (d); a.o., Ivy Sole (v). Leiden, 2025.
Sonar Kollektiv 549
John Donegan: Interfuse
Rooted in the tradition but thoroughly original, John Donegan follows up several sextet releases with an album that alternates trio with solo and quartet, assisted on four tunes by saxophonist Richie Buckley. A swinging pianist with a knack for expertly developed stories, the Irishman-in-the-UK is nudged along by his sassy, tight-knit trio, guiding us through Monkish blues (Blues Jive), gentle hymn-like jazz (Sonorial) and old-school ballads (Song For Ciara).
After a lush introduction, Interfuse segues into a beautiful dark-hued melody, underscored by a contagious, floating rhythm. It perfectly sums up Donegan’s style, which underlines flowing inventions with meaty, illuminating voicing. It’s a style able to thrive on Take Five-ish rhythm, evidenced by Five To One, that to Donegan’s credit keeps up the odd metre during his solo spot and is further embellished by Buckley’s sensuous yet punchy tenor.
I’m particularly enamoured by A Kite For Kate, a waltz that brings about a sense of zero-gravity only the best in town are able to provide. Townsfolk could be worse off than to be entertained by this alive and kicking Cork-born veteran.
Discography
Blues Jive; Interfuse; Funny Isn’t It; Five To One; Song For Ciara; Rhumba De Ciudad; Sonorial; A Resolute Rose; A Kite For Kate (49.46)
Donegan (p); Richie Buckley (ts, ss); Bernard O’Neill (b); John Daly (d). Dublin, 2025.
Jayde Records
