Sextant [Original recording remastered]

Herbie Hancock, Herbie Hancock / Michael Brecker / Roy Hargrove | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 18, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000008UTC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,648 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rain Dance

2. Hidden Shadows

3. Hornets

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Recorded with the sly, space-funky band that Herbie Hancock formed as Mwandishi (check out the two-CD Warner Bros. collection), Sextant is one of those cornerstone jazz CDs. It ranks with the best early, electric fusion for its fuzzing of textures, always used as bedrock for killer, roomy solos. A troika of horn greats can take much of the credit for the solos: trombonist Julian Priester, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, and saxist Bennie Maupin. Each generates great, dense ideas without betraying Hancock's eerie ambience and funky vibe. Yes, this is an aggregation of many 1970s-era ideas: renewed sense of Africanisms (at least in the band's naming), intensified percussive underpinnings, and a heap of rumbly rhythms that give props to everyone in neofunk jazz from Clyde Stubblefield to Funkadelic, albeit in a slowed, methodically rhythmic vein. Hancock's keyboards make fine clouds, as well as slinking shuffles. --Andrew Bartlett

Product Description

Herbie's backed by Mwandishi, the precursor group to Headhunters, on this 1973 release. The funky fusion flies on Rain Dance; Hidden Shadows , and Hornets . U.S. CD debut.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funky Avant Garde Mix Still Potent, March 30, 2002

By 

kamus (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sextant (Audio CD)

Herbie disbanded his sextet shortly after this recording to form 'Headhunters". Though I'm a big fan of his funk quartet it's a shame that this line of thought wasn't continued. He himself said that there was nowhere else to go with this music and perhaps he's right. However, Sextant stands as a powerful milestone in the post "Bitch's Brew" world. Innovative in just about every respect; instrumentation, composition, use of synthesizers and incredible solos from Herbie and Eddie Henderson et al. Though this is unquestionably avant-garde the earthy (and unearthly) grooves makes it accessible to anyone with an open ear and mind. Though recorded in the early seventies this music is still fresh and futuristic. A wonderful artistic highpoint for Herbie Hancock in a career not lacking in creative highpoints. My highest recommendation!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Brilliant, March 28, 2000

By 

Scott McFarland (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sextant (Audio CD)

This has been an underground classic for years; I'm happy to say that this reissue presents us with a strong remastered sound and a quality package.

The music's brilliant and a bit unlike anything else. It's truly musical fusion (fusion of rock, jazz, and funk). The band's playing is top-notch and the musical concepts are ambitious. The overall effect of the music is, as one friend of mine says, similar to watching a fish tank full of flourescent, brightly-colored fish go through their paces. It's basically a real head trip and highly musical. Unfortunately Hancock disbanded Mwandishi subsequent to this recording and never reached for these heights again.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Early Funky Spacey Fusion!!, April 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sextant (Audio CD)

Wow. This album was the last recording of the Mwandishi group before the Headhunters era of funk. However, in these earlier Herbie explorations, you can get lost in the shifting sea of sounds...this music is insanely good! Rain Dance can probably be considered the first ever "techno" song, consisting of open, spacey improvisation around a synth loop. Hidden Shadows is definitely my favorite track-- from its opening to finish, it continuously builds up energy, from the great polyrythmic drums and bass, to Eddie Henderson's scathing trumpet solo, to the constantly shifting psychedelic sounds of Herbie's keys and Dr. Patrick Gleeson's synth contributions, until Herbie takes it one step further on the acoustic piano. Finally, there's Hornets. Well...you might want to burn one before this- 20-minutes of high-energy improvisation, complete with kazoo and the repetitive, driving two-note bassline, and steady drums...sounds beautiful, spacey, funky, and intense in a 70's Miles, On the Corner kind of Way. Get this album, sit back, and enjoy where it takes you!!!!