HERBIE HANCOCK - Flood (1975-2006) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

The follow-up to the breakthrough Headhunters album was virtually as good as its wildly successful predecessor: an earthy, funky, yet often harmonically and rhythmically sophisticated tour de force. There is only one change in the Headhunters lineup -- swapping drummer Harvey Mason for Mike Clark -- and the switch results in grooves that are even more complex. Hancock continues to reach into the rapidly changing high-tech world for new sounds, most notably the metallic sheen of the then-new ARP string synthesizer which was already becoming a staple item on pop and jazz-rock records. Again, there are only four long tracks, three of which ("Palm Grease," "Actual Proof," "Spank-A-Lee") concentrate on the funk, with plenty of Hancock's wah-wah clavinet, synthesizer textures and effects, and electric piano ruminations that still venture beyond the outer limits of post-bop. The change-of-pace is one of Hancock's loveliest electric pieces, "Butterfly," a match for any tune he's written before or since, with shimmering synth textures and Bennie Maupin soaring on soprano (Hancock would re-record it 20 years later on Dis Is Da Drum, but this is the one to hear). This supertight jazz-funk quintet album still sounds invigorating a quarter of a century later. by Richard S. Ginell  

Tracklist:

1. Introduction/Maiden Voyage (Hancock) (7:58)

2. Actual Proof (Hancock) (8:28)

3. Spank-A-Lee (Clark, Hancock, Jackson) (8:47)

4. Watermelon Man (Hancock) (5:50)

5. Butterfly (Hancock, Maupin) (12:44)

6. Chameleon (Hancock, Jackson, Mason) (10:24)

7. Hang up Your Hang Ups (Hancock, Jackson, Ragin) (19:54)

Credits:

Herbie Hancock – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, ARP Odyssey, ARP Soloist, ARP String Ensemble

Bennie Maupin – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, saxello, bass clarinet, flute, percussion

Dewayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight – guitar

Paul Jackson – Fender bass

Mike Clark – drum set

Bill Summers – congas, percussion