One of the greatest jazz pianists to ever live, Herbie Hancock appropriately named his debut Takin' Off, as it is regarded as one of the better debuts for an esteemed jazz artist. Yet, compared to later records in his catalogue, Hancock's debut is a conservative and pretty safe affair; conventional hard-bop with some slight modal leanings, but this does not mean it's a dull record. In fact, quite the contrary, as the quality of this album remains high throughout, with Hancock taking the lead on piano, setting up improvisations for both Freddie Hubbard and Dexter Gordon, who man the trumpet and tenor sax respectively. "Watermelon Man" even shows Herbie getting his feet wet with a bit of funk, as the inherently bluesy style the album operates with works wonders here to create a post-bop masterpiece. It was a humble, yet very good, beginning for the man, and it's definitely worth a listen just because of that.
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