Centered around some soundtrack music that Herbie Hancock wrote for Bill
Cosby's Fat Albert cartoon show, Fat Albert Rotunda was Hancock's first
full-fledged venture into jazz-funk -- and his last until Head Hunters
-- making it a prophetic release. At the same time, it was far different
in sound from his later funk ventures, concentrating on a romping,
late-'60s-vintage R&B-oriented sound. with frequent horn riffs and
great rhythmic comping and complex solos from Hancock's Fender Rhodes
electric piano. The syllables of the titles alone -- "Wiggle Waggle,"
"Fat Mama," "Oh! Oh! Here He Comes" -- have a rhythm and feeling that
tell you exactly how this music saunters and swaggers along -- just like
the jolly cartoon character. But there is more to this record than
fatback funk. There is the haunting, harmonically sophisticated "Tell Me
a Bedtime Story" (which ought to become a jazz standard), and the
similarly relaxed "Jessica." The sextet on hand is a star-studded bunch,
with Joe Henderson in funky and free moods on tenor sax, Johnny Coles
on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and
Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums. Only Williams would remain for Hancock's
1977 electric V.S.O.P.: The Quintet album to come. In addition,
trumpeter Joe Newman, saxophonist Joe Farrell, guitarist Eric Gale, and
drummer Bernard Purdie make guest appearances on two tracks. Richard S. Ginell
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass, Soloist – Buster Williams (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Drums, Soloist – Tootie Heath (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flute [Alto], Tenor Saxophone, Soloist – Joe Henderson
Piano, Electric Piano, Producer, Written-By, Arranged By, Conductor, Soloist – Herbie Hancock
Trombone, Soloist – Garnet Brown
Trumpet, Flugelhorn [Fluegel Horn], Soloist – Johnny Coles