VSOP (album)

V.S.O.P.
V.S.O.P.
Live album by Herbie Hancock
Released	April 1977
Recorded	June 29, 1976
Genre	Jazz, post-bop, jazz fusion
Length	86:35
Label	Columbia
Producer	David Rubinson
Herbie Hancock chronology

V.S.O.P. is a 1977 double live album by keyboardist Herbie Hancock, featuring acoustic jazz performances by the V.S.O.P. Quintet (Hancock, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams), jazz fusion/ jazz-funk performances by the ‘Mwandishi’ band (trumpeter Eddie Henderson, trombonist Julian Priester, flautist Bennie Maupin, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Hart) and The Headhunters (saxophonist Maupin, guitarists Ray Parker Jr. and Wah Wah Watson, bass guitarist Paul Jackson, percussionist Kenneth Nash and drummer James Levi).

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	^[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	^[3]

The concert was advertised as a "Herbie Hancock Retrospective," and Miles Davis, who was several months into his temporary retirement, was advertised as playing with the V.S.O.P. group (thereby reconstituting Davis’ "Second Great Quintet" for the first time since 1968). According to concert attendees, on the night of the show a handwritten sign was posted on the lobby door announcing that Davis would not be playing, but that Hubbard would be appearing instead.

Track listing edit

"Piano Introduction" – 4:33
"Maiden Voyage" (Hancock) – 13:18
"Nefertiti" (Shorter) – 5:17
"Introduction of Players/Eye of the Hurricane" (Hancock) – 18:35
"Toys" (Hancock) – 14:00
"Introductions" – 1:47
"You'll Know When You Get There" (Hancock) – 7:00
"Hang Up Your Hang Ups" (Hancock, Jackson, Ragin) – 11:54
"Spider" (Hancock, Jackson, Ragin) – 10:12

Recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival, New York City Center, New York City, Tuesday, June 29, 1976.

Tracks 1–4 performed by V.S.O.P., Tracks 5–7 performed by Mwandishi, Tracks 8–9 performed by the Headhunters.

Personnel edit

Musicians edit

Track 1:

Herbie Hancock – acoustic piano

Tracks 2, 3, 4:

Herbie Hancock – acoustic piano
Ron Carter – bass
Tony Williams – drums
Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Freddie Hubbard – trumpet, flugelhorn

Tracks 5, 6, 7:

Herbie Hancock – electric piano (Rhodes, clavinet)
Buster Williams – bass
Billy Hart – drums
Eddie Henderson – trumpet, flugelhorn, sound effects
Bennie Maupin – alto flute
Julian Priester – tenor & bass trombone

Tracks 8, 9:

Herbie Hancock – electric piano (Rhodes, clavinet), synthesizer/FX
Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin – guitar
Ray Parker Jr. – guitar
Paul Jackson – electric bass
James Levi – drums
Kenneth Nash – percussion
Bennie Maupin – tenor & soprano saxophones, lyricon

Production edit

Fred Catero – engineer
David Rubinson – engineer, producer

References edit

^ Ginell, Richard S. (2011). "V.S.O.P., Vol. 1 – Herbie Hancock | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 94. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 642. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.

[1] Ginell, Richard S. (2011). "V.S.O.P., Vol. 1 – Herbie Hancock | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.

[RSJRG-2] Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 94. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.

[Penguin-3] Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 642. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.

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