The ‘kin way in!
(If you’ve gorrit already, go dig it aaaat again).

Welcome to the first of hopefully many classic Jazz album pointers, with me, Ben, from “Ben Mi Duck”. It’s always nice to have a little ‘kin intro to stuff before you buy it, and someone to reassure you that it’s decent. This is that quick intro, and I am that someone!

Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage (1965)

1. Maiden Voyage
2. The Eye of the Hurricane
3. Little One
4. Survival of the Fittest
5. Dolphin Dance

Piano: Herbie Hancock
Trumpet: Freddie Hubbard
Tenor Sax: George Coleman
Bass: Ron Carter
Drums: Tony Williams

Yeh everyone’s always on abaaaaaat havin “Headhunters” in yer collection, but lets forget Herbie’s electric stuff for now. The place to really listen to this bloke is at the Grand.

Nipping into the studio between sessions with Miles Davis (whilst nicking most of his band too), the impressionistic “Maiden Voyage” is the harmonically-defined follow up to 1964’s “Empyrean Isles”.. I reckon new ears will find “Dolphin Dance” and “Maiden Voyage” the most appealing, but what I ‘kin like about this album is that there’s a bit of somethin for all Jazz listeners, whilst keepin a unity to all five pieces. Withaaaat gettin too analytical, look at the front cover and then read the track names- that’s what the music sounds like. Zipping across the waves n that!

Simple yet sophisticatedly executed compositions, supported by a quintet of great soloists make this probably my favourite Blue Note album. Plus, if you’ve had a bad day at work, n need to chill aaaaat, click yer fingers on 2 and 4 under Freddie’s trill at the end of the title track, and let Tony’s cymbals do the hard work for you! (I do it many times a day with my eyes shut, n my head vibing slightly)

Best listened to: Crabbing at Blakeney.