180-gram vinyl, double LP set cut at 45 RPM and pressed at RTI

Remastered from the original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note master tapes!

Herbie Hancock's 1962 Blue Note debut features the incomparable horn duo of Freddy Hubbard and Dexter Gordon (both at their creative peaks), blowing out Hancock's angular, bluesy tunes with passion and finesse. The album kicks off with the classic "Watermelon Man" and the songs here are largely uptempo hard-bop until closing with the sparkling, late-night ballad "Alone and I." The pianist's forays into experimentation are displayed in the strange rhythm section solos and the lack of thematic resolution on "The Maze" or the 32-bar broken phrasing on "Three Bags Full." The sound is pure early-1960's Rudy Van Gelder: Muted piano, in-your-face horns and a rhythm section that feels like it's in your living room!

Track Listing
Watermelon Man
Three Bags Full
Empty Pockets
The Maze
Driftin'
Alone and I