Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles
Tracklist
| A1 | One Finger Snap | |
| A2 | Oliloqui Valley | |
| B1 | Cantaloupe Island | |
| B2 | The Egg |
Companies, etc.
- Recorded At – Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
- Record Company – Blue Note Records Inc.
- Lacquer Cut At – Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
- Pressed By – Plastylite
- Published By – Hancock Music Company
Credits
- Bass – Ron Carter
- Cornet – Freddie Hubbard
- Design [Cover] – Reid Miles
- Drums – Anthony Williams
- Liner Notes – Nora Kelly
- Photography By [Cover] – Francis Wolff
- Piano – Herbie Hancock
- Producer – Alfred Lion
- Recorded By [Recording By] – Rudy Van Gelder
- Written-By – Herbie Hancock
Notes
Recorded on June 17, 1964.
1st original Mono issue has:
- blue/white Blue Note Records Inc - New York Usa labels, deep groove only on side A or side B. No copies are known to exist with a dg on both sides. This particular pressing has a deep groove on side A only.
- Van Gelder stamped in the dead wax, both sides,
- "P" (otherwise wrongly called "ear") for Plastylite etched in the trail off, both sides,
- non laminated jacket,
- 43 West 61st St., New York 23 address on back cover
1st original Mono issue has:
- blue/white Blue Note Records Inc - New York Usa labels, deep groove only on side A or side B. No copies are known to exist with a dg on both sides. This particular pressing has a deep groove on side A only.
- Van Gelder stamped in the dead wax, both sides,
- "P" (otherwise wrongly called "ear") for Plastylite etched in the trail off, both sides,
- non laminated jacket,
- 43 West 61st St., New York 23 address on back cover
Barcode and Other Identifiers
- Rights Society: BMI
Other Versions (5 of 86)
View All| Title (Format) | Label | Cat# | Country | Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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New Submission
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Empyrean Isles (LP, Album, Stereo) | Blue Note | BST 84175 | US | 1964 | ||
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New Submission
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Empyrean Isles (LP, Album, Mono, No DG) | Blue Note | BLP 4175 | US | 1964 | ||
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New Submission
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Empyrean Isles (LP, Album, Mono, DG side 2) | Blue Note | BLP 4175 | US | 1964 | ||
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New Submission
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Empyrean Isles (LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, Liberty) | Blue Note | BST 84175 | US | 1966 | ||
|
New Submission
|
Empyrean Isles (LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo) | Blue Note | BST 84175 | US | 1966 |
Recommendations
Reviews
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This Kevin Gray/Steve Hoffman 180g "Classic" Blue Note reissue LP is incredible. This series definitely has the best sound quality of these stereo albums I've ever heard. Of course they'll be some who prefer mono versions of these sessions, but they are missing out on hearing what is sonically possible from this tape to vinyl transfer.
I'd love to give some specifics of this Herbie Hancock album, but every time I try to concentrate on its sound quality I get distracted by the incredible playing of Anthony (Tony) William's drums. Although, there is no way any other version is as free of background noise, making me able to hear Ron Carter's jaw dropping bass solo on "Oliloqui Valley" like never before. Wow. There's more. But I'm going to listen to side two again. -
According to Fred Cohen's Blue Note Guide the non DG version is the first pressing, not this one.
But who knows...?
I'm sure Plastylite had more than only one press running for the first pressing, some with, some without DG, so no one can really say, which one came out first. -
Edited 3 years agoNew version or variant? I have a copy that looks like Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles. I have photos at https://kafkahair.wordpress.com/vinyl/herbie-hancock-empyrean-isle/ I cannot find this specific version and any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
PS Added version as Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles but it is lacking date and other info -
I have a copy with blue/white Liberty labels with 'VAN GELDER' in dead wax, but 'Microgroove' labels with mono number (BLP 4175). Engravings in runout also read BLP 4175. It has the first issue jacket with '43 West 61st St.' and 4175 in blocks on back.
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Edited 10 years agoHere with "Cantaloupe Island", like "Blind Man, Blind Man" and "Watermelon man" before it, Hancock's shows his funky side, the record also has elements of hard-bop, and more experimental sounds. It's an interesting release but because he is exploring so many sounds the album sounds like a collection of recordings put together than an album that really flows in one style. -
Empyrean Isles is the best of Hancock's Blue Note albums and an outstanding example of modal jazz. But beyond that, it's simply one of the finest pure jazz albums ever made, right up there with Kind of Blue and Love Supreme. What helps makes it so great is not just the phenomenal musicians and the flawless performance, but a composer/arranger (Hancock) who really has no equal in the jazz world.
The 1950s were about forming the groundwork for jazz. Its maturation came in the post-bop 1960s, and this album was conceived at arguably the very peak of that movement. My favourites here are the "Oliloqui Valley" and the immortal "Cantaloupe Island."
Release
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