EMPYREAN ISLES

Herbie Hancock's quartet with such still young but great names in future as Freddie Hubbard (cornet), Ron Carter ( bass) and Tony Williams (drums) is still hard-bop (and the year is 1964). But this music is very risky hard-bop, played on the border. No way fusion, the music has many traces of new jazz era is coming.

Excellent Hancock piano is a great evidence how competent piano player he is. But even more - for a first time he plays adventurous music there, with some groove, almost free form composition (especially on final song - "The Egg"). And for sure, this album is a home for Hancock's one of most well-known tune - "Cantaloupe Island" (good enough reason to have this album, if no others).

CD re-release contains two bonuses (alternative versions of original album's tracks). Please note - not a jazz fusion album at all, but excellent one from the last days of hard-bop era, with first touches of modern jazz .