Audio CD review:
Herbie Hancock - My Point of View

Herbie Hancock - My Point of View

Band: Herbie Hancock Title: My Point of View Rating: Release Date: 1999-09-14 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Blind Man, Blind Man 2: A Tribute to Someone 3: King Cobra 4: The Pleasure Is Mine 5: And What If I Don't 6: Blind Man, Blind Man

Herbie has his way (but not his piano) The other tracks are highly worthy Hancock originals, full of unusual melody making and unexpected harmonies. Simply put, "Blind Man, Blind Man" is an attempt to come up with another "Watermelon Man" and scarcely rates one listen, so the addition of the alternate take is hardly a bonus (though Mobley deserves some credit for coming up with a few things to say on a single Bb7 chord). "Tribute to Someone" contains a risk-taking yet complete and satisfying solo by Mobley, who also takes chances on "And What If I Don't," faltering a bit this time but still communicative. "King Cobra" and "The Pleasure Is Mine" are showcases for Hancock's composing and arranging skills, his close harmonizations of the three horns producing some of the richest textures I've ever heard by him. Here Byrd, Mobley, and Moncur form a tight and responsive choir to the antiphonal statements of piano and guitar. Recording engineer Van Gelder has always had a talent for making his horns sound bigger than life as well as for bringing out all of the sizzle and ring in a drummer's ride cymbal. But the sound of his pianos is always muffled and "bottled up," at best an acquired taste. On this recording, the trademark Van Gelder piano sound is more in evidence than ever. Frankly, I would like to be able to hear Herbie's own idea of how a piano should sound. Herbie's Best Blind Man, Blind Man is a rewrite of Watermellon Man, but the addition of guitar (Grant Green) and trombone (Grachan Moncur III) give the arrangement a more interesting edge. In my opinion, this is Herbie Hancock's best bluenote album. The next two songs, A Tribute To Someone and King Cobra are the best that Herbie ever wrote. Hank Mobley and Donald Byrd play beautiful on them. Mobley in particular, never sounded so pretty before or after as he does here. And Tony Williams, eighteen on this recording, plays with the maturity and restraint of someone 3 times his age. A Tribute To Someone and King Cobra, to me, are better than anything Herbie Hancock ever recorded, solo or otherwise. That alone to me makes this record even more essential than Maiden Voyage or Emperyan Isles. The Pleasure is Mind is no Dolphin Dance and And What If I Don't is no Cantaloupe Island, but don't let that stop you from buying this. And don't let reviewers who dream of hearing Maiden Voyage Part II lead you to believe that My Point Of View is in any way inferior to anything Herbie ever recorded for bluenote. And as I mentioned before, if you are a fan of Hank Mobley (as I am) or Donald Byrd, both of them are in prime form. Mobley is at his best. Get the album. Enjoyable, but not Essential Despite the large group, the arrangements never get too busy. Some nice, bluesy/funky writing, and good playing all around, but nothing spectacular. If you like Hancock, you'll like this CD, but it won't knock you off your feet like MAIDEN VOYAGE does. Decent But Unexceptional Session The album as a whole is less impressive than his first was, and not as impressive as the ones that followed, though there's nothing wrong with it per se. "Blind Man, Blind Man" is a nice bluesy composition, and "King Cobra" is a decent bop tune. You can see a complete list of all Herbie Hancock discography, or go back to the Herbie Hancock tabs