Track Listing

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1248 in Music
• Released on: 1999-06-14
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered

Customer Reviews

Mysterious and haunting, mesmersing and hypnotic - this is more than just music
Like the sea itself, Maiden Voyage is vast and epic- flirting with adventure and myth. It is Herbie Hancock's tour de force- what the wonderous Speak No Evil was to his Blue Note peer, Wayne Shorter- ie. representing the composer/pianist at his imaginitive peak. We can only imagine what kind of zone Freddie Hubbard, George Coleman, Ron Carter and Tony Williams must have been during the recording of this masterpiece- so wonderfully coherent yet brimming with subtle musical conflict. And Hancock's playing is simply majestic.

The opening track is stunningly simple- you might feel a little uninspired by the low-key opening, but then, all of a sudden, it all opens out beautifully during the trumpet solo. This short flourish embodies the enitre tone of the album and indeed the majesty of the ocean in its sense of wonder and awe.

After the fast-and-furious Eye of the Hurricaine, Hancock, with Little One, reminds us of his ability to produce deeply complex and challenging, yet incredibly beautiful compositions. It's probably my favourite track of the album.

Survival of the Fittest recalls The Egg, from Empyrean Isles(Blue Note, 1964) in its open improvisational structure. The sense of conflict and frantic struggle is briliantly portrayed, and the listener is unsure of whether the music is hideous, or beautiful.

To round off, Herbie returns to laid-back territory with Dolphin Dance- fresh enough to clear our musical palette after what has preceded.

While the briliant playing ability of this wonderful quintet is unquestionable, for me, it's Herbie's writing that makes album what it is. Maiden Voyage works as more of a "Love Supreme-esq" suite, rather than an album of five separate tracks. Not always easily listenable, always completley compelling, music is rarely this powerful.

La Mer
By now, Herbie Hancock was reaching a point were every convention, every facet of jazz he had experienced before was reaching near perfection in his compositions. He had already acheieved fame and lucratove offers from Blue Notes records, so finance was more or less assured. He was lucky. He had time to plan his works and choose the musicians he wanted. And Hancock was not a man to let such an opportunity just whizz by. This album proves that.
The sound and it's purpose is almost overpowering. It is a brilliant manifestation of the sea through sound. Particularly the opening and closing tracks capture the life of the sea and the sway and lull of the waves.
The playing on the musicians part is as always superb. Vocal resonance eminates from the saxophone and trumpet courtesy of Freddie Hubbard and George Coleman, bass strengthens the sound and gives it that woody, but flexible edge (Ron Carter). Tony Williams plays the drums as though they were an extention of his mind! The correctness of it all is overpowering. Herbie himself is genius at the keyboard. Particularly on Maiden Voyage, that piece which demands so much control and precision not only in tone, but dynamic and communication - it's handled brilliantly.
As I said earlier, Hancock had now reached a point where everything was just right. But, his mind would soon lean him in another, vastly more inventive direction. This album however, when compared also with the 60's standards 'Speak Like a Child' and 'My Point of View', is a more mature take on jazz. Jazz, which is flexible to every corner and desire the composer imposes - here it still feels at home. As at home as it feels on 'Headhunters', or the bouncy, brilliant tunes on 'Takin' Off'. Not only is that testament to jazz, but it is testament to Hancock's vision and technique in the studio.
This is simply a definitive jazz record, it is one of a kind and not only that - it sounds darn good for it.

Hancock's Finest Hour
As prolific an artist as Herbie Hancock has been over 40 years, this album endures as probably his best. He had made a startling contribution to 60s jazz already with the excellent debut album, 'Takin off' and the follow up, 'Empyrean Isles.' Although they contained more obvious 'hits in the form of 'Watermelon Man' and the wonderful 'Canteloupe Island,' this is his most consistent album.
Part of the lasting appeal of this record is its thematic approach, as all five tracks come across as part of the same whole, almost like a classical suite, with the ocean as its 'subject matter.' This was an unusual and bold step in the field of jazz but the music's descriptive nature is one of the reasons that people remember the whole record rather than just five individual tracks. It is a key part of the album's appeal, and most importantly, it works. The music is successfully subject driven rather than style orientated, and is both highly original and atmospheric throughout.
The obvious masterpiece of the album is the title track itself, a piece which slowly gets under your skin, and gets better with each listen. Hancock's steady repeated pattern gently grounds the whole piece, and Freddie Hubbard plays a superb solo alternating between calm tranquility, and majestic power.
The rest of the album ranges from the gently swinging 'Dolphin Dance,' the quiet beauty of the 'Little One' (also recorded by Miles Davis' quintet on ESP), to the menacing 'Eye of the Hurricane' and the thrill ride of 'Survival of the Fittest.' The whole band is brilliant, each following the leader's concept with music of lasting value. Freddie Hubbard not only confirms, but enhances his reputation as one of the most versatile and important soloists in jazz at the time, Joe Henderson is slightly less to the fore but is still excellent and the rhythm section are on the ball throughout.
One of the great 60s jazz albums and an essential part of anything like a jazz collection.