SEXTANT

The swansong of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi-era sextet is perhaps the most diverse and artistically successful album by the unit. As well as a fabulous fusion performance in the tradition of Davis' In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew (and, of course, the sextet's very own Mwandishi and Crossings), the album also shows an increased influence of funk as well as some superb synthesiser work, which at points is more reminiscent of the spacier end of the Krautrock scene (as represented by the likes of early Tangerine Dream). It's an album very much dedicated to the fusion idea, taking jazz as its foundation and cramming in so many other genres that it ends up filled to bursting.