Head Hunters

Head Hunters is the album where Herbie Hancock left behind the ethereal experiments of his Mwandishi sextet to come down to earth. Recorded in September 1973 at two studios in San Francisco —Wally Heider and Different Fur Trading Co.—, the album arose from Hancock’s need to connect with something more earthly after years of exploring “spacey” sounds. Instead of guitars, he bet on the Hohner Clavinet, an instrument that became his signature on this record. The rhythm section —Paul Jackson on bass and Harvey Mason on drums— gave it that relaxed yet punchy groove, while Bennie Maupin brought his woodwinds from the previous group. The result was a hybrid where jazz-funk and funk blended with a freshness that appealed to both jazz and rhythm and blues listeners.

Year

1973

Songs

4

Duration

41 min 38 seg