Day 10: Herbie Hancock The Prisoner [1969]

I remember seeing this album at used record stores and always being curious about what exactly was going on-did it have anything to do with the British T.V. show? (which I had seen but thought really odd)

Turning the album over the instrumentation never seemed to make any sense to me.  I didn't recognize the majority of the players so the album never made it home (even though Joe Henderson is on the record). Twenty years later I started buying the Rudy Van Gelder re-issues of Blue Note classics and decided to give this a try, by now I knew a few more names on the record and the instrumentation seemed to hold so many possibilities. The arrangements are very beautiful and creative, flute is used prominently throughout (Hubert Laws or Jerome Richardson) and the brass are used subtly, which I find gives the record a very lush sound. The solos by Joe are iconic and he plays without reserve throughout. I "think" the solos were overdubbed as the reverb can get a bit heavy. The real standout on the album is the trio of Herbie Hancock on piano, Buster Williams on bass and Tootie Heath on Drums. The recording levels have the rhythm section up in the mix, which I find really brings out the energy of the ensemble. Plus the band is really swinging!!!enjoy