Herbie Hancock, Headhunters

Herbie Hancock, Headhunters brashly offended jazz purists with its cheesy synth tones and its funk-based rhythms and obviously commercial intent. But it's a real contradiction and it achieves extraordinary heights of "jazz" ecstasy (rich harmonic color and complexly kinetic rhythms) The unbridled musical invention and controlled energy are one of a kind.

The appropriately titled, 15-minute Chameleon, starts out with the now famous banal, cheese-synth riff kept afloat for the first 6 minutes by Harvey Mason's buoyant, playful, always interacting drumming. Ominously, the mood shifts, colors start to radiate and the heat builds into fire. It's a great performance, from the ridiculous to the sublime and back.

Possibly the best track is the 12 minute SLY. Its snaky melody and tempo shifts highlight Mason playing at a mercurial tempo with unflagging fire and nimble intelligence. Mason practically reinvents the drum lexicon here. Paul Jackson's minimal bass ostinato is the perfect compliment to the hyperactivity. Study this, kids.

This album is a real one-off and should not be lumped in with the mass of "fusion" product that quickly degenerated into tepid noodling. This is a seminal snapshot of a short period in time when there was a flash fire of invention from Hancock and crew.

Some people prefer the follow-up THRUST and I do not agree. THRUST is the cheese without the subtlety. The arranging and playing on HEADHUNTERS are of the highest order.

BUY! LISTEN.