Oct. 10, 1974 review: Herbie Hancock in Kleinhans Music Hall

 


Seeing Herbie Hancock accompanying Brittany Howard on “Both Sides Now” in the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors show, I recalled that I had this snapshot of him from 47 years ago. What I didn’t remember was that he had a sensational opening act. 

Oct. 10, 1974 

Hancock in Command

With Shifting Rhythms 

          “Did you see O. J. Simpson?” my associate beams. “He’s bee-youuutiful.”

          No, I didn’t. At that point Wednesday night I’m deep in the sea of buffed and polished, combed and curled, duded-up Black and white folks around the oasis downstairs in Kleinhans Music Hall.

          Seems like everybody in this crowd of 1,800 or so wants to get behind something fluid for Herbie Hancock. As it turns out, he’s just right in a furry focus.

          His Headhunters band set up a beat and he comes out a loose and happy hero, bowing once to cheers, taking his command post, keyboards on three sides of him.

          Hancock works not with melodies, not with messages, but with sounds, catching you smack in your furry focus with a shifting complex of rhythms and exciting you with a kaleidoscope of instrumental tones.

* * *

THERE’S THE breathtaking marathon sax squeal with which Bennie Maupin ends a solo in “Sly.” And the quiet, dawn-of-the-world tableau that opens “Palm Grease.”

          You start thinking, however, of what Chick Corea might be doing as you wait in vain for some sort of inspired, inner-directed, hang-it-all-out personal statement-type solo from Hancock or Maupin. It’s team effort here, everyone abstracted to not life, not liberty, but to the pursuit of sounds.

          Ultimately Hancock moves into grand, crowd-pleasing flourishes. Up go his arms in magic summons and the whir of the synthesizer rises like a snake for its charmer.

          He comes around front and throws a whammy from 20 feet. The synthesizer goes wild until four flash bombs explode in smoke and kill it as a gasp runs through the hall.

* * *

AFTER THE abridged “Watermelon Man” encore, the snoop in me makes me ask a soundman who Hancock casts his electronic spell. “It’s two wah-wah pedals,” he reports. “One them’s out front.”

          Prior to jazzman Hancock’s tricks from the rock world, there was Minnie Riperton establishing her credentials on both sides. Quincy Jones in the jazz camp (She sang “If I Ever Lose This Heaven” from “Body Heat”). Stevie Wonder on the pop end (A tune from “Fulfillingness’ First Finale”).

          Riperton’s one of Wonder’s young Black protégés (the group Rufus is another). Natural and unaffected and even a bit stage-shy she is, despite her fine songwriting and incredible singing.

* * *

SHE’S SIMPLY a thrilling performer, a superstar in the budding stage, with a voice that reaches up to the outer limits of human hearing but somehow never becomes shrill. She can be singing sweet and suddenly kick into overdrive for notes you thought only a synthesizer could hit.

          As for her band, you couldn’t ask for a hipper group, either in appearance (denim, scarves, hats and lotsa jewelry, Riperton with tiny flowers in her hair) or the way they played.

          They rocked that Herbie Hancock crowd to the point of standing en masse and cheering for an encore.

* * * * *

IN THE PHOTOS: Both from 1974. Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters band. Minnie Riperton.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE: Hancock was still basking in the popularity of his 12th album, “Head Hunters,” in 1973, which included a reworking of his 1962 hit “Watermelon Man.” Personnel included saxophonist Bennie Maupin, the only member left over from Hancock’s previous sextet; bassist Paul Jackson, drummer Harvey Mason and Bill Summers, a percussionist who played everything from balafon to beer bottle.

          Meanwhile, Minnie Riperton had just released “Perfect Angel,” the LP that would make her a headliner, under the guidance of Stevie Wonder, who produced that record. One of his backup singers, she appeared on many tracks on his “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” album.



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