Customer Reviews

Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings

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These two CDs document Herbie Hancock's music from 1969-1971 for the Warner Brothers label, released originally as three albums. It is a testament to how much jazz was changing at the time that the first album and the last are so drastically different, though the middle album helps to bridge the gap. The first album, "Fat Albert Rotunda," was music that Hancock wrote for "Fat Albert," the Bill Cosby cartoon. For the most part, the music is very funky, but more in the Lee Morgan boogaloo sense than in the Headhunters of the 70s sense. At this point, so much energy had been used trying to find the next hit boogaloo to succeed "The Sidewinder" that the subgenre had been exhausted. Thus, many of the tunes on this album sound very very similar (and one cut actually steals the Horace Silver groove from "The Jody Grind" three years earlier). That having been said, for what it is, the level of musicianship is very high, as Hancock was truly the inventor of this type of tune. The highlights of "Fat Albert Rotunda" are actually the non-funk tunes, few as they are. "Tell me a Bedtime Story" is absolutely beautiful, though it does sound dated mainly because of the groove (the drum pattern used sounds eerily like disco music even though this was almost a decade before the disco craze). "Jessica" is another really pretty ballad, though the orchestrations are a little thick at some times (the melody is beautiful enough to stand alone in my opinion).

The truly wonderful music on this CD comes from the second and third albums represented here, "Mwandishi" and "Crossings." The former features exploratory (though still listenable) extended pieces with an emphasis on odd rhythmic patterns and grooves (though not in the funk sense). "Ostinato" and "You'll Know When You Get There" are excellent, fascinating pieces, while "Wandering Spirit Song" wanders a bit too far to keep my attention.

If you have an adventurous ear, far and away the best music on here comes from "Crossings." With the inclusion of Patrick Gleeson on synthesizers (the first time they were used in jazz, Gleeson's idea), this is electronic music, and can be labeled "fusion" but it's early fusion, before it was commercialized and streamlined. The result is an amazing array of sounds and colors (though the music doesn't rely solely on technology; the writing here is especially strong) with sporadic but glorious moments of funk. Early fusion was often about building great amounts of tension and then releasing them in glorious fashion (though that could be said about a lot of jazz) and there is one moment about twenty minutes into "Sleeping Giant" where Bennie Maupin has been soloing, raising the intensity level gradually, leading the band into a frenzy on one chord to the bursting point, then pow, they hit the bridge and fall back into perfect time. Musicians live for moments like that.

Get this CD because it is fascinating to trace the development of fusion leading up to its breakout with "Headhunters" and "Heavy Weather." There is something for everyone; casual listeners will enjoy the grooving funk of "Fat Albert Rotunda" while serious jazz-heads will be enthralled by almost every moment of Hancock's electronic experiments.

this double cd compiles the complete recordings from three of herbie hancock's sextet releases - fat albert rotunda, mwandishi and crossings. recorded between 1969 and 1972 the band(s) created a musical hybrid of jazz-fusion and rock. like miles davis' recordings released in the same time period, the mwandishi recordings were introspective, explorative, and focused on sounds that were more representative of rock than they were of jazz. the music from fat albert rotunda is the most structured of the three albums and tracks like "wiggle waggle" and "fat mama" are out-in-out hard jazz funk. although these tracks are a bit more focused than the others on the cds, they lack the structure that was more easily accessible with hancock's later band, the headhunters. the tracks included from mwandishi and crossings are spatial and free. the melodies are rarely coherent, and the solos have a tendency to be a bit loose. even still, there is an undeniable weird funkiness to many of these tracks. it's impossible not to be somewhat engrossed by the music on these cds, but it's tough to groove with the music all of the time (it's definitely not always an easy listen).

First off, this is a great bargain, containing 3 previously-rare Hancock albums at one moderate price. My summary of each album hereon :

Fat Albert Rotunda - an impressive progression from "Speak Like A Child" and "The Prisoner", with some great tracks and compositions on it.

Mwandishi - starts with the brilliant, Miles-like "Ostinato" which anticipates the brilliant "Sextant" sound. The other tracks move towards a strange airy ambience not unlike the music later popularized as "ambient". It's interesting stuff and pretty moody.

Crossings - The more difficult listening of the 3 records. Alternates between more airy, slightly haunting ambience and wilder fusion-styled playing. This one does grow on you at least a bit if you give it a chance. END

I was really surprised this wasn't on Amazon's list of essentials from Herbie Hancock, because to my ears this is the definition of Herbie's contribution to jazz and clearly surpasses most of the work he did before this point as a group leader. The two discs present two very different visions of what can be done in an electric format, with the first showing how a nearly "standards" approach can be approached in an R & B context (clear melodic and harmonic structures), while the second takes a free approach and explores timbre, space, and texture. I really can't say enough about how much this disc has meant to me since I bought it soon after its initial release. It remains one of my absolute favorite top 5 "stranded on a desert island" discs because no matter how much I've heard it, or how many of the solos I've tried to cop or transcribe, I can honestly say I always hear something new that musicians of today could pick up on to make whole new genres upon genres.

You pays your money and you takes your pick. Some folks drool over the short(er), funky tracks from Fat Albert Rotunda - good ensemble work. Others hail by Mwandishi, Herbie Hancock's first foray into "African" jazz. I must admit prefering the items from Crossings. I'm not a big fan of long songs, but the 25 minute track "Sleeping Giant" (that's those Part One, Part Two things you see on the track listing) is among my favorite tracks to "chill" to. Quite a listen, but enjoyable.

This album is awesome. I should say albums: this two disc set comprises Fat Albert Rotunda, Mwandishi and Crossings. On the Fat Albert stuff Herbie and a great band play with such great joy and feeling--mixing James Brown funk and jazz. You can dance to it. The Mwandishi stuff is more esoteric, but great too--especially Ostinato. Buy it, you'll like it!

This is probably the best jazz compilation of all time. It contains three albums from Hancock's 1969-1970 band, and covers funk and the avant-garde.

Disc one starts with the valuptious funk of the Fat Albert suite. A lot of this is based on blues-it is almost like the soundtrack work of Quincy Jones at the time. The music has great solos, and the band is loud and loose. They know how to keep a grits and butter feel while making music that is very accomplished and majestic. The baritone sax-so underused in jazz, provides extra meat to the playing. There is some fantastic ballad work as well.

Later, the set goes into post-Bitches Brew jamming, but the improvosations are focused well and the band reacts to one another with a concentration that anchors the music, never letting it drift into self-indulgence. The avant-garde work is as natural and genuine as the blues playing

The best aspect of this three album comp is that it actually works stunningly as one set of music. This band goes in a lot of different directions, but the musicians are so distinctive, all their work melds into a cohearent statement.

For under $20, this is one of the best buys you'll ever make.

If you are a fan of Miles' music around the Bitches Brew era then this CD is for you. You get the complete Fat Albert Rotunda, Mwandishi, and Crossings. Frankly, I purchased this for Mwandishi and Crossings. After I heard Sextant, I just had to have more of Herbie's Mwandishi band material. The Fat Albert Material is good but it's very different from the other two releases found in this 2 disc set. Again - if you are a fan of Miles in the late 60's early 70's then this is a must have. You will not be disappointed!

This album is more engaging than anything Miles Davis had done at this point in the 70s, plus Herbie's band was more interested in testing the sweaty aspects of funk on the Fat Albert Rotunda than its otherworldliness. I am saying that this is music that could've connected with people because the rhythm was so funky and Afrocentric. The rest of this 2 disc set features ambient explorations which are important too but not as memorable as the Fat Albert stuff, though some of the textures like the ones on Sleeping Giant are very inspirational. Trumpeter Eddie Henderson and bass legend Buster Williams perform marvelously among stellar bandmates. Top shelf stuff.

This music sounds so modern. It's amazing it was recorded 40 years ago.

A great phase of jazz that, though it never was as popular as Hancock's other mega successful
ventures, still looms large in the history of the evolution of jazz and it's merger with
electronics.

five stars!!!! highly recommended