Customer Reviews

Cantaloupe Island

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hancock has so many distinct personalities, I know of few people who like all facets of his music/career. There's the hard electronic pop of Rocket. The "Headhunters" Fusion era. His stunning work with Miles Davis.

There are also the records he did on Blue Note. This is a compilation from some of those records, released to capitalize (ahem) on the success of Us3, who sampled from (among others) Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island." Other reviewers have gone on at some length about the particular tracks on this compilation, so I won't rehash all that here.

A hardcore fan would argue that you need all of the Blue Note discs. I'm not enough of a fan to comment on that level. However, I had all those discs, and this compilation is the disc that gets all the play.

If you are new to jazz, this is a great introduction to "traditional" jazz. In general, it swings, it jumps, it bops. For those of you with an incomplete take on Hancock's music, this disc would be a great way to dip into his Blue Note material.

A collection of Herbie's earliest, this is sort of a "Best Of" of his early solo career. Although an excellent collection, none of the originial albums are particularly expensive, and all have great music. "Maiden Voyage" in particular is such a dexterous and contemplative album that it seems wrong not to appreciate it in its entirety.

Don't get this album! It's a trick! This wasn't a real album put out by Herbie, it's just a collection of a lot of his good stuff (look at the original release date). The thing is though, every album that this music is from is also a must-have classic; e.g. "Takin' Off" and "Maiden Voyage." You'll be much happier if you go buy the real albums instead.

Herbie Hancock is one of the most ingenious and excellent pianists of the twentieth century. He could compose entertaining, brightly done songs that would not only be a big hit on the charts but be great as well. All of the songs on Cantaloupe Island are filled with exotic, amazing solos and catchy compositions. Such tracks could only be done by Herbie Hancock; he creates a legendary album here. Most enjoyable to add are the great people in jazz who join him for this project: Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, George Coleman, and many others.

The whole album is just spectacular. The instant classic "Cantaloupe Island" features a little piano loop played over and over for a jazzy feeling. Freddie Hubbard's trumpet solo is perfect for the song. The way the loop and Herbie's solo go together is the greatest. The next single, "Watermelon Man", has a different piano loop and works in the same fasion. This time, Dexter Gordon joins the mix and turns in an incredible solo. Freddie Hubbard's solo is excellent, and Herbie's is a little short, but it works out brilliantly with the rest of the song. The slower but always exciting tropical sounds of "Driftin'" feature Donald Byrd on an excellent tune. Hank Mobley's solo is swinging and solid as usual, and Herbie steals the show by playing terrifically. The bouncy "Blind Man, Blind Man" is classic Herbie, featuring great solos over a great beat. The similiar "And What If I Don't" bounces as well, and has great trumpet and guitar solos. The third single, "Maiden Voyage" is a fantastic ballad, with its dreamy sounds and solos from Freddie and Herbie.

To conclude my review, this is among my favorite jazz albums of all-time. The sounds are wonderful, and I really enjoyed the complete album. You don't have to like jazz to enjoy this one.

I have recently become aware of the amazing skills of this keyboard artist. The sound that his ensemble generates in this is pure and beautiful. Great rhythm and melody is present among their playing. Herbie's solo's are also wonderful. I recommend it to any fan of Herbie's or a classic jazz fan.

I've got over 25 CD's from H.Hancock. I discovered his work about 8 years ago. His music has changed my life. Cantaloop Island is an album from Hearbie "Jazz period". I mean is THE album.

These tracks are wonderful, but so are some of the other tracks on the original albums. If you want a sampler of his best, "The Best of herbie Hancock" is a better starting point.

Just a great album to listen to and get one's jazz on to. Love the title track. The album does not get old. Every track is great in this music fans humble opinion. If you are a fan of jazz and piano, this is awesome.

This is the second copy of this Herbie Hancock album that I've purchased. The first was many years ago. I've enjoyed it many times. This copy is for my daughter, who asked for jazz to listen to at work. The tunes on this particular set stand the test of time, with an ideal mix of jazz inventiveness yet maintaining a solid sense of melody and continuity. I recommend this highly to any music lover. It'll never get old.

Sparked from US3's Top Ten Gold Selling Billboard Hit Single: "Cantaloop", EVERYBODY started looking for Herbie Hancock's Blue Note Recordings thinking there would MORE Funky Tracks unearthed...NOT! Although Herbie didn't record a mass of recordings for Blue Note like Jimmy Smith, Donald Byrd, and others, this collection (Compilation) focus more on his Uptempo, Fingersnappin' Tracks like the Title Track, and Non-Charting Singles: "Watermelon Man", "Blind Man, Blind Man" and "Driftin'" which ALL were Jukebox and Jazz Radio Favorites along with 2 (Two)
Album Favorites. Now for the Deep Jazz Heads I'd advise you to seek out the 'Original' Full Length Albums (Compact Disc or Vinyl) that has several Straight-Out Jazz Tracks, but for those who like Jazz you can Move 'n' Groove to this is the best collection to start with.