Miles Davis (May 26, 1926 — September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter with a recording career that spanned nearly five decades. In the late 1940s, Davis collaborated with Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan on the nonet sessions that became the Birth of the Cool LP (1957). He later formed his first great quintet […]
Herbie Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz and funk keyboardist active since the late 1950s. His 1962 Blue Note debut, Takin’ Off, includes his signature piece, “Watermelon Man.” In 1963, he joined Miles Davis‘s Second Great Quintet with Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Hancock’s profile rose with the 1964/65 albums Empyrean Isles […]
Freddie Hubbard (1938–2008) was an American jazz trumpeter who released seven post-bop albums on Blue Note (1960–67), followed by stints on Atlantic (1967–70), CTI (1970–74), and Columbia (1974–77). He went electric on the 1970–71 albums The Black Angel, Red Clay, and Straight Life and embraced jazz-funk on the 1974–76 titles High Energy, Liquid Love, and […]
Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 — February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter of the hard bop era and a central figure on the Blue Note label. By his late teens, he recorded with John Coltrane, Curtis Fuller, and Dizzy Gillespie, then became a regular in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. His work as sideman […]
Roy Ayers (1940–2025) was an American vibraphonist, composer, and producer who debuted with the 1963 UA release West Coast Vibes. Amid backing credits with Herbie Mann, Ayers cut the 1967–69 Atlantic albums Virgo Vibes, Stoned Soul Picnic, and Daddy Bug. In 1969/70, the Roy Ayers Quartet (with Sonny Sharrock and Miroslav Vitous) cut two albums […]
Tony Williams (1945–1997) was an American jazz drummer who emerged in the second Miles Davis Quintet. As Anthony Williams, he cut the 1965/66 Blue Note albums Life Time and Spring. After Miles, Williams formed Lifetime, a pioneering jazz-rock band that cut the 1969–72 Polydor albums Emergency!, Turn It Over, Ego, and The Old Bum’s Rush. […]
The Headhunters were an American jazz-funk supergroup assembled by keyboardist Herbie Hancock as a backing band for his series of albums on Columbia between 1973 and 1975. As an independent entity, the band released two albums on Arista between 1975 and 1977 Members: Herbie Hancock (keyboards, 1973-98), Bennie Maupin (saxophone, clarinet, flute), Paul Jackson (bass), […]
Eddie Henderson (born Oct. 26, 1940) is an American trumpeter, cornetist, and composer who emerged in Herbie Hancock‘s backing band Mwandishi. On Capricorn, he released the popular 1973/74 albums Realization and Inside Out. Switching to Blue Note, he made the 1975/76 albums Sunburst and Heritage, followed by a trio of titles on Capitol, including the […]
In a Silent Way is the first album from the electric phase of American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, released on July 30, 1969, on Columbia Records. The album marked a dramatic change in Davis’s musical direction. Following the more acoustic, post-bop sound of his second quintet, In a Silent Way pioneered the genre of jazz […]
A Tribute to Jack Johnson is the third studio album from the electric phase of American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, released on February 24, 1971, on Columbia Records. The album is a fiery, muscular exploration of hard rock, funk, and jazz fusion. It was conceived as the soundtrack for the documentary film of the same […]
Get Up With It is an album from the electric phase of American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, released on November 22, 1974, on Columbia Records. The album is a sprawling, retrospective collection of previously unreleased material recorded between 1970 and 1974. It spans the entire sonic palette of Davis’s electric period, from the hard funk […]
Inside Out is the second headlining album by American avant-garde/jazz-funk trumpeter Eddie Henderson, released in 1974 on Capricorn. Tracklist: A1. “Moussaka” (8:59) A2. “Omnipresence” (2:14) A3. “Discoveries” (5:08) A4. “Fusion” (3:33) B1. “Dreams” (7:21) B2. “Inside Out” (9:25) B3. “Exit #1” (2:54) Credits: Eddie Henderson — trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, writer Herbie Hancock — fender rhodes […]
Miles Smiles is an album by American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, released on February 16, 1967 on Columbia Records. The album is a landmark of post-bop and avant-garde jazz, serving as a prime showcase for Davis’s renowned Second Great Quintet. With a loose, free-flowing rhythmic feel and a focus on abstract improvisation, the album marked […]
Miles in the Sky is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, released on July 22, 1968, on Columbia Records. The album is a pivotal moment in Davis’s career, serving as a transitional bridge between the acoustic post-bop of his Second Great Quintet and the electric jazz fusion of his later work. It […]
Man-Child is the fourteenth proper studio album by jazz-funk keyboardist Herbie Hancock, released in August 1975 on Columbia Records. et Tracklist: A1. “Hang Up Your Hang Ups” (7:28) A2. “Sun Touch” (5:10) A3. “The Traitor” (9:37) B1. “Bubbles” (9:01) B2. “Steppin’ in It” (8:41) B3. “Heartbeat” (5:16) Credits: Herbie Hancock — piano, fender rhodes electric […]
Jaco Pastorius is the second headlining album by American jazz-rock bassist Jaco Pastorius, released in 1976 on Epic. Tracklist: A1. “Donna Lee” (2:24) A2. “Come On, Come Over” (3:53) A3. “Continuum” (4:32) A4. “Kuru / Speak Like a Child” (7:38) A5. “Portrait of Tracy” (2:19) B1. “Opus Pocus” (5:24) B2. “Okonkolé y Trompa” (4:20) B3. […]
Sextant is the eleventh studio album by American jazz-funk keyboardist Herbie Hancock, released in March 1973 on Columbia Records. Tracklist: A1. “Rain Dance” (9:16) A2. “Hidden Shadows” (10:13) B. “Hornets” (19:36) Credits: Mwandishi (Herbie Hancock) – piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Mellotron, ARP 2600, ARP Pro Soloist, Moog synthesizer Mwile (Bennie Maupin) – soprano saxophone, bass […]
Head Hunters is the twelfth studio album by American jazz-funk keyboardist Herbie Hancock, released in October 1973 on Columbia Records. Tracklist: A1. “Chameleon” (15:41) A2. “Watermelon Man” (6:29) B1. “Sly” (10:18) B2. “Vein Melter” (9:10) Credits: Herbie Hancock — producer, fender rhodes electric piano, Clavinet, ARP Odyssey, synthesizer, pipes, composer Bennie Maupin — soprano saxophone, […]
Thrust is the thirteenth studio album by jazz-funk keyboardist Herbie Hancock, released in September 1974 on Columbia Records. Tracklist: A1. “Palm Grease” (10:34) A2. “Actual Proof” (9:41) B1. “Butterfly” (11:18) B2. “Spank-a-Lee” (7:11) Credits: Herbie Hancock — producer, fender rhodes electric piano, Clavinet, synthesizer, ARP Odyssey, ARP Solina string synthesizer, composer Bennie Maupin — soprano […]
Upon This Rock is the fifth album by American saxist/flutist Joe Farrell, released in 1974 on CTI. Tracklist: A1. “Weathervane” (8:00) A2. “I Won’t Be Back” (10:05) B1. “Upon This Rock” (11:54) B2. “Seven Seas” (6:50) Credits: Joe Farrell — tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, writer Joe Beck — guitar, writer Herb Bushler — bass […]
Love from the Sun is the third headlining album by American jazz drummer Norman Connors, released in 1974 on Buddah. Tracklist: A1. “Revelation” (9:00) A2. “Carlos II” (6:08) A3. “Drums Around the World” (5:40) B1. “Love From the Sun” (8:14) B2. “Kumakucha (The Sun Has Risen)” (6:09) B3. “Holy Waters” (5:28) Credits: Norman Connors — […]
The V.S.O.P. Quintet was an American post-pop/jazz supergroup featuring the seasoned talents of keyboardist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. The band released two live double-LPs in 1977 and a third in 1979, followed by a studio album, all on CBS/Sony. Members: Herbie Hancock (keyboards), Freddie […]
Straight from the Gate is the first autonomous album by American jazz-funk five-piece the Headhunters, released in 1975 on Arista. The album was co-produced by Herbie Hancock, who assembled the band for backup on his 1973–75 releases Head Hunters, Thrust, and Man-Child. Tracklist: A1. “God Make Me Funky” (9:35 — 3:49–8:01) A2. “Mugic” (3:31) A3. […]
Tempest in the Colosseum is a live album by post-bop supergroup V.S.O.P., released in 1977 on Japanese Columbia. The recording was taken from a July 23, 1977, date at Tokyo’s Den-En Colosseum. Tracklist: A. “Eye of the Hurricane” (15:54) B1. “Diana” (4:26) B2. “Eighty-One” (12:50) C1. “Maiden Voyage” (11:48) C2. “Lawra” (8:08) D. “Red Clay” […]
Goin’ Places is the second solo album by American bassist/vocalist Michael Henderson, released in 1977 on Buddah. Tracklist: A1. “Whip It” (4:01) A2. “Goin’ Places” (4:08) A3. “Let Me Love You” (5:00) A4. “I Can’t Help It” (4:16) B1. “I’ll Be Understanding” (3:03) B2. “At the Concert” (7:16) B3. “Won’t You Be Mine” (7:00) Credits: […]
Red Clay is an album by American jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, released in June 1970 on CTI. Tracklist: A1. “Red Clay” (12:05) A2. “Delphia” (7:25) B1. “Suite Sioux” (8:40) B2. “The Intrepid Fox” (10:40) CD bonus track: “Cold Turkey” (10:26) Credits: Freddie Hubbard – trumpet, writer Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone, flute Herbie Hancock – […]
