Herbie Hancock, born in Chicago on April 12, 1940, is one of the most successful
jazz musicians of all time. His debut album "Takin' Off" (1961) opened with the hit
"Watermelon Man" and paid off twofold, because he also retained the publishing
rights. Starting in 1963, Hancock became a member of the new Miles Davis
Quintet, which, with Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, became one of
the eponymous groups of Modern Jazz. Hancock had already gained his first jazz
experience in his hometown Chicago – after a Wunderkind phase as a classical
pianist – with such greats as Donald Byrd and Coleman Hawkins. Influenced by the
harmonic theories of local pianist Chris Anderson and Bill Evans, Hancock
developed his own style, combining funky hard bop piano à la Horace Silver with a
more open harmonic approach. Based on his recordings with Donald Byrd, one
can trace this rapid development. In addition to Hancock's first recordings, we
have also selected recordings of his most important musician friends from his early
days for this box-set: Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Dexter Gordon,
George Coleman, Grant Green, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley and
Lee Morgan and, as a comparison to the later Miles Davis Quintet, Davis' last
recordings before Hancock joined the group.