HERBIE!
“I am a big fan of Herbie Hancock. I have always liked his music and sound. Unlike most writers on jazz, I will tell you about my experience with the sound and music of Herbie Hancock. It was 1973, and I was a freshman in college at a big music school. There were hundreds of musicians polishing their skills at this school, mostly jazz oriented, and as one became a part of the scene the rituals of all aspiring jazz musicians came to be learned. One ritual is that of discovery; where you find something in a recording or at a performance that takes you to a level of understanding. Another is learning tunes and defining your direction by studying the music that interests you.
My first “discovery” was when Pat Coil (who lived down the hall in the dorm) had Sextant on his stereo. The sound was amazing. Pat’s only attempt to define this music to me (as a courtesy) was to say “Herbie….”
That night, hanging out at Sam Riney’s house, the turntable exploded with Miles Davis’s “My Funny Valentine.” When the title track came up, Sam listened to the first few notes of the piano intro, closed his eyes and just said “Herbie….”
The very next day, my best friend at that time (Mike Lotz, a talented pianist) played something on his stereo, looked at me with a smug hipness and asked the question “Who’s that?” All I knew was one word that would make me or break me in the world of college hipness, and I quietly said “Herbie.” Mike was shocked. I was now ‘in.’ Clearly, I had to find out more about this Herbie guy.” – Bob Belden, booklet notes to HERBIE HANCOCK:THE COMPLETE BLUE NOTE SESSIONS