Mwandishi, an album by Herbie Hancock, released in 1971, is reissued here on 180g vinyl.
It is the first of what has been called a trilogy, which also includes the two subsequent albums.
Herbie Hancock is an American pianist, keyboardist, and composer, born in Chicago in 1940. He has explored various genres with excellence and mastery, from jazz, fusion, and funk to an innovative use of electronics. He debuted with the great Miles Davis in the Miles Davis Quintet and achieved success primarily as a soloist with iconic albums such as Maiden Voyage and Head Hunters, which helped define the fusion and funk sound.
Mwandishi is a splendid jazz-fusion album with an experimental sound, a journey through free jazz and rock, featuring innovative compositions such as the 15/8 time signature of Ostinato (Suite for Angela), and characterized by an incomparable interplay between the elements of the entire sextet, which included musicians such as Bennie Maupin and Buster Williams.
Although it initially failed to achieve great commercial success, it has now rightly been reevaluated as a milestone in avant-garde jazz.
The album is performed with electric instruments, and the compositional structures are completely free, without recurring harmonic turns. It's not truly free jazz, but the urge to break free from traditional patterns is certainly evident.
Echo effects, plenty of percussive elements, and lengthy improvisations, all in a record that's over 44 minutes long and consists of just three tracks. It has no commercial aspirations, but a sound that will also be found on the next two albums, "Crossing" and “Sextant”. After these two albums, funk takes over, and Herbie Hancock embarks on a completely different artistic path.
A beautiful album to have with the other two in the trilogy. Excellent!
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.
Tracklist
1. Ostinato (Suite for Angela) (13:10)
2. You'll Know When You Get There (10:22)
3. Wandering Spirirt Song (21:26)
Duration 44:50
LineUp
- Herbie Hancock - Fender Rhodes electric piano, arrangements
Featuring:
- Eddie Henderson "Mganga" - trumpet, flugelhorn
- Bennie Maupin "Mwile" - bass clarinet, alto flute, piccolo
- Julian Priester "Pepo Mtoto" - tenor and bass trombones
- Buster Williams "Mchezaji" - bass
- Billy Hart "Jabali" - drums
- Leon Chancler "'Ndugu" - drums, percussion
- Ronnie Montrose - guitar (1)
- Jose Cepito Areas - congas and timbales (1)
