Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles

Date:	Wednesday, June 17, 1964
Label/Number:	Blue Note 4175
Personnel:	Herbie Hancock (p) Freddie Hubbard (tp) Ron Carter (b) Anthony Williams (d)
Tracks:	One Finger Snap / Cantaloupe Island / The Egg / Oliloqui Valley
Location:	Englewood Cliffs
Producer:	Alfred Lion
Liner Notes:	Nora Kelly
Research Comments:	In his liner notes to the 1999 CD reissue of this album Bob Blumenthal writes: “Speaking of the sound of this album, it has rarely, if ever, been matched. Each of these musicians has been documented on countless occasions, often by Rudy Van Gelder, and not a single one of these recordings sounds better. That includes this rhythm section’s many appearances with Miles Davis on Columbia, which lack the warmth and crispness one hears in the piano, bass and drums on Empyrean Isles. From both an audio and a musical standpoint, and with all due respect, if forced to choose between any of those fabled Davis Columbia albums and this set for the proverbial desert isle trip, this listener would not hesitate to go Empyrean.”
Status Notes:
Sources:	BND AMG FHD CRZ BK CDJ LOC RU2