Music Milestones, 1965: Herbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage

Herbie Hancock is undoubtedly part of my triad of favorite jazz pianists, together with Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. Heavily influenced by his tenure in Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet, Hancock’s style is rather different from that of his predecessors, and was pivotal for the development of hard bop in the 60s and jazz fusion in the 70s. While Hancock released several groundbreaking jazz fusion masterpieces, I tend to prefer his hard bop period, and therefore picked a record from that era to review here.

 
Maiden Voyage consists of five original compositions, no fewer than three of which became jazz standards. Hancock intended the title track to convey "the splendor of a sea-going vessel on its maiden voyage", and its strong rhythm section, accompanied by Freddie Hubbard’s capricious trumpet, successfully delivers the message. “The Eye of the Hurricane” is a more erratic piece, where the seemingly wayward musical elements suggest a storm underway. The hurricane subsides and gives way to “Dolphin Dance”, a piece that is indeed quite danceable and closes the record with a mellow tone.

Here is the title track for a fine introduction to Maiden Voyage: