Sextant is the eleventh studio album by Herbie Hancock, released in 1973 by Columbia. It is the last album with the Mwandishi-era sextet featuring saxophonist Bennie Maupin, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, trombonist Julian Priester, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Hart. Synthesizer player Patrick Gleeson and percussionist Buck Clarke also appear.
| Sextant | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 March 1973 | |||
| Recorded | early 1973 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:02 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | David Rubinson | |||
| Herbie Hancock chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [4] |
| Rolling Stone 1998 | [3] |
| Rolling Stone 2004 | [5] |
| Uppity Music | (favorable)[6] |
| Virgin Encyclopedia | [7] |
| Penguin Guide to Jazz | [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [9] |
Background
editReleased on March 30, 1973, Sextant was Herbie Hancock's first album on Columbia Records,[3] and the last with his Mwandishi-era group. The album showcased Hancock's early adoption of synthesizers and electronic effects.[3]
Upon release, the record was considered to be a commercial flop.[3]
Critical reception
editAllMusic called the album a "gem" which features "a kind of post-modal, free impressionism while gracing the edges of funk."[4] Rolling Stone wrote that, "taking his cue from [Miles] Davis' swirling, anarchic Bitches Brew and On the Corner, Hancock went even further into outer space [...] much of Sextant, with its twittering, burbling effects, amounts to a primitive version of Nineties ambient music."[3] The album was called an "uncompromising avant-funk masterpiece" by Paste Magazine.[2]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Herbie Hancock
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rain Dance" | 9:16 |
| 2. | "Hidden Shadows" | 10:11 |
| Total length: | 19:27 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hornets" | 19:35 |
| Total length: | 19:35 | |
Personnel
edit- Mwandishi (Herbie Hancock) – piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Mellotron, ARP 2600, ARP Pro Soloist, Moog synthesizer
- Mwile (Bennie Maupin) – soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, piccolo, afuche
- Mganga (Eddie Henderson) – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Pepo (Julian Priester) – bass trombone, tenor trombone, alto trombone, cowbell
- Mchezaji (Buster Williams) – bass guitar, double bass
- Jabali (Billy Hart) – drums
- Patrick Gleeson – ARP 2600, ARP Pro Soloist
- Buck Clarke – percussion
References
edit- ^ Little, Michael H. "Graded on a Curve: Herbie Hancock, Head Hunters". The Vinyl District. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ a b Jarnow, Jesse. "Herbie Hancock: Cafe Curiosity". Paste. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Scherman, Tony (2011). "Sextant : Herbie Hancock : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 24 February 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ a b Jurek, Thom (2011). "Sextant - Herbie Hancock | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ RSguide, 2004
- ^ "Uppity Music: Herbie Hancock: Sextant (1973)". uppitymusic.com. 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2004). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz. Virgin Books. p. 378.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2000). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books. p. 656.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. U.S.: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 94. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.