Maiden Voyage (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition)

One of the best albums from my favorite period in jazz history. Put it in your collection.

Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage remains a classic in the jazz genre. At the time of its release, he was also playing with the Miles Davis Quintet and the maturity he gained in working with them is in full evidence here. Its legend is such that two tracks, the title song and "Dolphin Dance", still receive generous airplay on jazz radio. The album begins with the aforementioned title track, one of the best and most recognizable songs in the genre. Hancock's simple yet melodic piano line provides the mood for excellent solos from both trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and saxophonist George Coleman. Despite its mellow theme, drummer Tony Williams, then only 19, is creative throughout, sometimes throwing in loud quick fills, while other times playing very understated. Yet, it's still Herbie's show here as his solo is truly a thing of beauty. "The Eye Of The Hurricane" is a great hard bop tune featuring very busy playing from bassist Ron Carter and stellar interplay between Herbie and both Coleman and Hubbard. "Little One" is a very somber piece that features a cool solo from Carter along with Herbie's quiet and reserved playing. The band's performance of this track, which Herbie would also record that year with Miles on the E.S.P. album, matches its solemn mood perfectly. "Survival Of The Fittest" is most dramatic song here as it moves from hard bop in its first half to a showcase for Herbie's lightning fast runs, while also spotlighting Tony Williams, who has no less than three solos in the track alone. Finally, "Dolphin Dance" is a mellow ballad, featuring a memorable horn line as well as great solos from both Hubbard and Coleman. A classic in the genre and arguably his best album, Maiden Voyage established Herbie Hancock as one of the premier composers in jazz. Highly recommended.

This classic from 1965(not the early 60's as one reviewer is mistaken), is the best from the Great Herbie Hancock and it also features the late Great Tony Williams(1945-1997)on drums
You got a Winner Here!

I don't think I could name a more perfect album than this one, if I tried! That's just how amazing Herbie Hancock's best-known acoustic work is, especially due to the amazing personnel of Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, the terribly underrated George Coleman on tenor sax, and the magnificent rythymn team of Ron Carter and Tony Williams, who, along with Herbie, make up the impeccable rhytymn section of Miles's second great quintet. The underwater/out to sea theme of the album is kept throughout, which I'd say is mainly due to Tony Williams's awesome wash and ebb effect he gets through his cymbals for the duration of the album. Of all the tunes, I can't pick a favorite, since it is all five of these amazing Hancock compositions that make this album spectacular. I think that this cd shows both Hubbard and Hancock at the top of their game, and that's saying a lot since I own a lot of magnificent gems that feature these two giants. This is definitely one of the most essential jazz albums ever, so if you don't already own this, do yourself a favor and order it right now!

Pianist Herbie Hancock took the sea as a theme, composed five outstanding pieces, invited an all-star cast of musicians to join him, and created a masterpiece. Each of the compositions, the lilting "Maiden Voyage," the turbulent "Eye of the Hurricane," the moody "Little One," the complex "Survival of the Fittest," and the lovely "Dophin Dance," can either stand alone or fit perfectly together as a suite. Herbie Hancock is quite simply one of the best pianist of all time. Every solo I have ever heard him play is logically, meticulously constructed, but played with passion. George Coleman is an underrated tenor saxophonist who amply displays his talent here. Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard plays with his usual fire and clarity. Rhythm sections don't get any better than Ron Carter and Tony Williams. When this music was first released on LP it proved to be very popular. I believe it still is. It deserves to be!