Sonic Appreciation

It’s 1973, and jazz great Herbie Hancock has spent the last three years creating the three Mwandishi albums – experimental records in which the keyboardist dived into and embraced the world of electronic music for the first time. ‘Sextant’ however, the last in the series of albums, proved so experimental, so out there, that Hancock found himself alienating his listeners. Poor album sales resulted, and in an effort to find a new sound and direction, the ever-evolving Hancock formed a new group: The Headhunters.

A badass-named group like that was bound to put out a badass record, and that’s exactly what Hancock and his Headhunters did. ‘Head Hunters’ was released in 1973 on Columbia Records, and featured a rawer, stripped down sound that differed greatly from Hancock’s last three records. Where the Mwandishi albums were deeply muddy, textured, and highly experimental in a cosmic way, ‘Head Hunters’ saw Hancock return to earth with a groove that was all funk. With jazz mixed in.

Weighing in at four songs and around forty minutes long, rhythm plays a key role in the feel of the album. From the get go, that dirty walking bass line riff in lead track ‘Chameleon’ sets the head nodding. The thumping bass and snare drop in after four bars, and by the time the cool clavinet and heavy synthesizers casually work their way in, you’re in the middle of a full-blown 15-minute funk fest. The song takes on the conventional AABA jazz form, and it’s the B section in which we get to hear Hancock’s inspired, and still somewhat experimental, solo Fender Rhodes improvisations. Backed, of course, by a raw bass line, expansive percussion, and heavy, heavy use of sustained synthesizers that create some fantastic tension and release moments.

‘Head Hunters’ is actually the perfect after hours record to spin; ‘Chameleon’ kicks things off nicely with a hard, yet laid back groove. And as the record progresses, things gradually become more and more relaxed. ‘Watermelon Man’, a reworking of the hit from Hancock’s hard bop days, carries a slower tempo, that amazing tribal, African-inspired intro, percussive, syncopated stabs of Fender Rhodes, wigged out use of the synthesizer’s pitch bend, salacious saxophone playing, and sharp drums. It could quite easily be the album’s best. Carrying on with the progression, third track ‘Sly’, dedicated to Sly Stone from Sly & The Family Stone (further cementing Hancock’s evident love of the funk), takes on a blaxploitation-esque vibe with some incredible conga drumming courtesy of Bill Summers, and final song ‘Vein Melter’ eases you into the wee hours with its slooooow pace, dreamy keys and wandering saxophone.

Although ‘Head Hunters’ was an effort on Hancock’s part to craft a more easily digestible record for his audience, it was still groundbreaking. With ‘Head Hunters’, the Chicago-born musician pioneered the jazz-funk movement, being one of the first to use electronic synthesizers and effects on a jazz record. Paving the way for the likes of Roy Ayers, Grover Washington Jr. and Bob James, as well as providing samples for Nas, Digable Planets and Massive Attack, ‘Head Hunters’ is a seminal piece of work from arguably the world’s most forward thinking jazz musician. Essential.