Customer Reviews

Takin Off (Reis)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jazz can be a very personal or subjective form of music. To me Takin' Off by Herbie Hancock is one of the best examples of early 1960's music. Other jazz classics of this time period are generally driven by the trumpet and alto sax. Takin' Off features no less than Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Butch Warren, and Billy Higgins. But it is Hancock who is in charge of tempo and mood.

The result is an album of grace, character and soul. Watermelon Man, Empty Pockets and Driftin' are Hancock classics but all six original songs and the three alternate takes are first rate.

All of this was done by Hancock at age 22. No wonder he was able to easily move on to other, more understated forms of Jazz so easily (Maiden Voyage).

Takin' Off is very underrated and a worthy addition to any collection.

With the personnel on this recording I can't imagine it not satisfying the needs of any jazz listener.
"Takin' Off" makes a big addition to a well-seasoned jazz collection or a great starting-point for those just starting off.

The natural sound of the horns and the rhythm section together makes this one of my favorite acoustic jazz albums of all time. Freddie Hubbard is nothing short of perfect. His clean sound and virtuosity blend perfectly with Dexter Gordon, Herbie, and the rest of the gang.

I highly recommend "Takin' Off" for anyone. It is accessible to those who may have limited interest in jazz yet complex enough to keep jazz enthusiasts engaged.

This is Herbie Hancock's first recording as a leader and it is impressive to say the least. From "Watermelon Man" to the alternate take of "Empty Pockets", Hancock shows listeners why he is considered one of the giants of Jazz. He shows his unique style on this 1962 album (CD), and just to think, he just got started! In a few years, he would join Miles Davis and become a member of one of the most famous quintets in Jazz History. It is easily apparent to see why Miles Davis was impressed with Hancock, and that itself was a difficult task, since Davis was very selective in who he wanted in his group. "Watermelon Man" is a selection that is just as fresh today as when it was first recorded 38 years ago, and the other works on this album (CD) are just as outstanding.

Highly recommended to all Jazz enthusiasts, it is well worth 5 stars (and more).

In the last year or so, I've truly come to appreciate the second great miles davis quintet: Miles, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. During that time, I've also come to appreciate early acoustic Herbie Hancock. If it were not for records like TAKIN OFF and MAIDEN VOYAGE, I sincerely believe there never would have been great albums like E.S.P., MILES SMILES, or NEFERTITI. TAKIN OFF really cooks.

TAKIN OFF is Hancock's first solo effort, and a strong one at that. The lineup is pretty impressive with Dexter Gordon (tenor sax), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Butch Warren (bass), and Billy Higgins (drums). I always thought Gordon was a much better sax player than George Coleman, who appears on MAIDEN VOYAGE, and would have liked to have seen him fill that role.

This record opens up with the popular 'Watermelon Man' which would appear again many years later on HEADHUNTERS, sounding completely different. I actually consider this to be one of the weaker tracks. Next is 'Three Bags Full' which has a beautifully phrased trumpet solo from Hubbard. The interplay between Herbie and the Gordon/Hubbard combination reminds me at times of hearing Coltrane playing with Thelonius Monk. Gordon also shines on this track, sounding comfortable in the setting, with a wonderful solo leading up to Herbie's moment in the sun.

My favorite track is 'Empty Pockets' which open up with Herbie playing the main theme followed by Gordon and Hubbard joining in a few measures later. Every few measures or so, the time doubles and swings for a few moments. The first soloist to follow is Hubbard over the main theme, with Gordon later on. This tracks swings hard at times, and is one of my favorite acoustic Herbie moments. 'The Maze' is another exceptional track - Hubbard really shines here. I have friends who criticize Hubbard as boring, and while he doesn't match up to Miles Davis or Don Cherry, he is overlooked just as much as this fine record is.

The music settles down a bit with 'Driftin,' a catchy tune similar to later Hancock, like 'Cantaloupe Island' off the EMPYREAN ISLES album. This track also has one of my favorite Dexter Gordon solos - you can hear that he listened to a lot of Trane in those days, but then again, who didn't? The album closes out with the soothing '3am afterhours' sound of 'Alone and I.'

Altogether, TAKIN OFF is a much overlooked gem. In addition to this album, I also recommend MAIDEN VOYAGE which was from a couple years later and we can hear a constantly maturing Hancock. After hearing much of his music from this era, we begin to realize how important of an element Herbie Hancock was to the second great Miles Davis quintet. I'll take Herbie anyday over Red Garland or Wynton Kelly!

Now this is a debut. What was Herbie? 23 when this was recorded. It's just a fine album. And Dexter, Herbie and Billy Higgins are already previewing what they'd do together in 'Round Midnight, some 20+ years later.

Takin' off is great. They're all just so good. Forget about for a second Watermelon Man. You all know that's a classic. Classic Funk. And it's got an alternate take here. Three Bags Full and Empty Pockets have all that funk that that the former's got. You'll love em. Alone and I, the last song is just so pretty. Dexter just sounds so mellow, so calm and easy on this track.

Everything here is good. Everyone is good. Freddie Hubbard is so bright, you can see his trumpet shine everytime you hear this cd. The sound is great (no remastering!), Butch Warren's bass walks with a full, rich step. And Herbie funks it up all the way through, with Dexter Gordon and Billy Higgins giving their great support and esp like levels of communication.

Tis a great album here. Run out and get it. The first and the sixth track don't dissappoint as much as the whole album doesn't. Top notch.

While not quite a classic, Herbie's debut is still solid post-bop, even though there were better albums on the way. The bluesy, laid-back "Watermelon Man" has since become a jazz standard, and it's an unforgettable composition, though I think the Headhunters version is a little bit better myself. Most the rest of the album is in the same vein, but it's a good vein to be in, and besides, Herbie gets some solid compositions riding that groove - "Three Bags Full", "Empty Pockets", and "Driftin'" aren't groundbreaking, but they're plenty solid. "The Maze" is the record's other huge high point, an unforgettably eccentric melody, great post-bop groove, and a top-notch trumpet solo. The lone ballad, "Alone and I", is beautifully desolate. And Herbie knows exactly what he's doing here, never overstepping his bounds and taking things into experimental territory. It's good because it makes the record a ton more competent, but it also works against the record in a way, because my favorite Hancock album (Empyrean Isles) is incredibly experimental itself. Still, you can't blame a guy for playing it straight on his first record, and besides, Herbie does a good job of it. Later Hancock albums may overshadow it, but you shouldn't overlook Takin' Off just because of that.

Recorded in May 1962, midway through Herbie Hancock's two year Jazz apprenticeship that began the year before, all of the signs of his future greatness are here. Some of his electrifying talent and obvious promise are exemplified by his superb pianism: a solo rooted in the 1940s Blues and Stride technique of Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis, single note lines with fragmented chords whose complex beauty evoke composer favorites like Ravel and Debussy, blues and gospel influenced melodies that are effortlessly stretched into 16 and 32-bar themes, and those crisp, caustic tone-clusters that Hancock would later use to such wonderful effect while anchoring the rhythm section in the second great Miles Davis Quintet. Like fingerprints on glass, his talent and great promise are all over the compositions that fill this set, writing that is mature beyond his years. The signs are all here on a recording made when Hancock was all of 22 years of age. His fine compositions include what would later be a huge hit for Mongo Santamaria: 'Watermelon Man', and 'Three Bags Full', which features a great tenor sax solo by Dexter Gordon that sounds as if he'd been listening closely to John Coltrane. Gordon's solo is not as blistering as Coltrane's sheets of sound but it is artful and deeply expressive, as he celebrates the strength of character needed to overcome private demons. Hancock's own personal favorite from this set is 'Alone and I', a ballad in A that features some exquisite Haiku piano playing that reveals the lyrical beauty in midnight loneliness; Dexter Gordon's haunting sax sings the wounded soul wandering in the darkness. It is an impressive and beautiful track. Freddie Hubbard's trumpet and flugelhorn are a powerful addition to the sound of this great album. His solos are never less than searching and strong. Three alternate cuts round out this superb debut.

This remastered CD, its audio refurbished in a 24-bit resolution analog to digital transfer for the Rudy Van Gelder Edition, features instruments that sound full, warm and immediate, the hallmark of most Blue Note recordings of the early 1960s. This is an important release for all those who care about where Jazz was heading in those early revolutionary days. Strongly recommended.

Mike Birman

Takin' Off was Herbie Hancock's first album as a leader, having served as pianist for five previously released sessions with trumpeter Donald Byrd. All six memorable pieces on this album were composed by Hancock. His cohorts on the session are Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Dexter Gordon (tenor sax), Butch Warren (bass), and Billy Higgins (drums). All the players brought their A-game to the studio, inspired no doubt by the material presented to them. It's hard to believe this was Hancock's first go round as leader, as the songs are all confident and challenging.

"Watermelon Man" is an exuberant romp given vivid life by the horns of Gordon and Hubbard, as well as the rollicking piano of Hancock. "Three Bags Full" and "Empty Pockets" are strong pieces as well. "The Maze" is a brilliant piece of music, mysterious, foreshadowing the direction Hancock would turn on later releases like Empyrean Isles. "Driftin'" is in the same mode as "Watermelon Man", only mellower. Hubbard is strong here, eschewing the trumpet for a flugelhorn, which better suits the mood of the piece. The album proper closes with "Alone and I", an emotional ballad. The RVG Edition also contains alternate takes of "Watermelon Man", "Three Bags Full", and "Empty Pockets". As per usual, the remastered sound is excellent. This is a stellar entry from an artist on his way to becoming a jazz icon.

This album is pure gold. Dexter Gordon and Freddie Hubbard take some of the most melodic and beautiful solos in the history of recorded jazz- not to mention Herbie's solos, where he introduces the left hand as a significant tool for improvisation (with the exception of a few, i.e. Art Tatum, Bud Powell, the left hand served more of a straight comping role, where as herbie develops his rhythmic technique to bring jazz piano to a whole new level). Listen to the solos on Driftin and Maze. Sheer genius. If you haven't heard this album, purchase it immediately. It is a must-hear for anyone even remotely interested in jazz.

In originality and beauty, this set is only surpassed by the great "Maiden Voyage" a few years later. If you own only one HH album, make it one of these two. Takin' Off is awesome, from the wonder of "Watermelon Man" to the energy of "Three Bags Full", "The Maze", and "Empty Pockets" this set blazes forward with energy and crispness. Absolutely essential.