Track Listing

1. The Sorcerer
2. The Poet
3. So What/Impressions
4. Misstery
5. Naima
6. Transition
7. My Ship
8. D Trane

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37040 in Music
• Released on: 2002-06-11
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Amazon.com
Directions in Music marks Herbie Hancock's all-star tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane. It's clearly a chance for Hancock to return once again to his creative roots, when he was in Davis's great quintet of the mid-'60s, and he has excellent companions for the journey in Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove, the tenor saxophonist and trumpeter who clearly demonstrate their inspiration in Coltrane and Miles. The CD begins with a reprise of Hancock's "Sorcerer" from his Miles period, with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade, who were so crucial a part of Wayne Shorter's Footprints Live, and prove themselves just as important here. Blade is especially driving, pressing Hancock and the horns to complex creative dialogue. The synthesis of "So What/Impressions," already closely linked tunes, benefits from the input of some fresh creative thinking, while Brecker's long cadenza on "Naima" is an effective invocation of Coltrane's intrepid virtuosity. Over 78 minutes in length, this is energetic, sometimes brilliant music, in many ways resembling Hancock's own classic, Maiden Voyage. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

and recorded live, perfect for this group!
I heard this group at tiny Kuumbwa Jazz Center in September 2001 -- one night before they performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival. I cannot recall seeing a better performance ever -- and this includes seeing Herbie, Brecker, and Hargrove themselves many times. So, after learning this group had recorded an album (er, CD) I axiously awaited it's release. This recording does not disappoint! I believe all of the tracks on the CD were also performed when I saw them -- which makes sense since they recorded the following month.

The tour was a tribute to both Miles and Trane (75th Bdays for both) and the tune selection reflects this. I especially like the interesting treatments of Impressions and Stella by Starlight (called "Misstery" here).

Lastly, Hargrove's playing is perhaps the most creative I've heard from him. His blend with Brecker was amazing -- reminds one of Miles and Wayne Shorter.

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Intriguing to compare this to Shorter's Footprints Live
They share the same rhythm section, and that's more significant than may first be apparent. What Patitucci (bass) and Blade (drums) lend to each is a rock-solid grounding and and ace base from which to make exciting excursions.

How do they differ? What we've got here is just a kick-butt, in-your-face, out-'n'-out sonic assualt, not the nuanced, sophisticated, composition-oriented Footprints session.

Which is better? That depends on what you prefer: the beautiful, well-thought-out, burnished, polished, gems of Footprints, or the high-energy, burning, emotive, expressive music of Directions in Music. And that's not to say that the latter doesn't have its gorgeous moments: Check out "The Poet," a Hancock original filled with stark poignancy and dazzlingly beautiful moments, and Misstery, another stunning Hancock original. Plus, Naima, surely Coltrane's most deliciously seductive melody gets the full monty treatment, with a jaw-dropping solo intro by the inimitable Michael Brecker, perhaps never sounding more convincing.

It's just that there's a different vibe happening here, one that wants to newly evoke the glory of a bygone era--an era that, yes, is sorely missed, but to do it in a way that advances the music rather than just memorializes it. Whereas Footprints Live makes an immediate strong impression, Directions in Music takes a little longer to warm up to, but perhaps leaves a deeper mark on the listener. maybe it's because the latter initially sounds like an extended (albeit off-the-charts) jam session. It's only with repeated listenings that the deep musical values begin to reveal themselves.

From that standpoint, this is a marvelously succesful, even revelatory, disc. You'd be a fool to miss out on it.

A challenging and rewarding trip
First, I'd like to address the complaint that bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade didn't make the front cover. The reason for this is that "Directions in Music" is Hancock, Brecker, and Hargrove. Directions in Music is now touring again, and I just got back from seeing their show in Minneapolis, where their drummer and bassist were Terri Lyne Carrington and Scott Colley, respectively. If there is ever a CD released as a result of the current tour, I suspect there will be similar indignation from Colleyacs and Carringtonphiles.

This CD is very advanced jazz. There is a level of abstraction here that demands that this music be listened to actively, if at all. That isn't to say that this is free jazz; there is a predetermined structure behind what you're hearing, but it feels loose and impressionistic. It is worth the trouble of warming up to. The rhythym section is delightfully responsive to the solos of Brecker and Hargrove, and that goes double for Herbie Hancock, who comes off as a complementary counter-soloist more often than not. Brecker and Hargrove use this support to their advantage. Their solos typically will develop slowly and deliberately, starting out ponderous and using spaces effectively as they build tension to a climactic point at which they get to use the full strength of their dexterity.

At this point, I must make the obligatory "______ alone is worth the price of admission" statement about Impressions. My previous experiences with this song have been Coltrane-styled modal romps. The Directions in Music approach to it was a stunning reinvention (a slow-developing Impressions!).

Naima is just an extended solo by Brecker. It should be treated as an intermission. It tended to get a little too showy as it wore on, but you can take it or leave it; other reviewers have chosen to take it.

I have heard nothing about plans for another Directions in Music CD, but if there is one, here's an idea of what to expect. The most obvious change is the addition of electronic effects in a few of the songs. Hancock has his keyboard, Brecker picks up an EWI (electronic wind instrument), and Hargrove even has a second microphone which he uses to get sound effects out of his trumpet. The concert was also in surround sound. The song selection was entirely different, except for a revisting of The Poet. They also played John Coltrane's Cresent, a tune which is designed to be played dramatically, patiently, and deliberately, so it fits Directions in Music like a glove. Brecker's intermission solo is on the EWI this time. He layers over himself until he's a regular one-man band, playing a funky version of Wayne Shorter's Pinocchio. Again, expendable, but perhaps you would be amused.

Pick this up, figure out what it's about, and keep an eye out for a sequel.