Empyrean Isles
Empyrean Isles is the fourth studio album by American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, released on Blue Note Records in November 1964.[2][3] The album features Hancock alongside trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams.
| Empyrean Isles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1964[1] | |||
| Recorded | June 17, 1964 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:20 | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer | Alfred Lion | |||
| Herbie Hancock chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording and composition
Empyrean Isles was recorded at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on June 17, 1964.[4] Freddie Hubbard played cornet rather than his typical trumpet on the session.[4] The four compositions on the album, including the future standard "Cantaloupe Island", are Hancock originals written over a two-year period.[5]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [5] |
| Jazz Journal |  [6] |
| Jazzwise | [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [8] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [9] |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded Empyrean Isles four out of four stars.[9]
AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album five out of five stars, calling it "a record that officially established Hancock as a major artist in his own right."[5]
Track listing
Original release
All tracks are written by Herbie Hancock
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One Finger Snap" | 7:20 |
| 2. | "Oliloqui Valley" | 8:28 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cantaloupe Island" | 5:32 |
| 2. | "The Egg" | 14:00 |
| Total length: | 35:20 | |
1999 CD reissue
All tracks are written by Herbie Hancock
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One Finger Snap" | 7:20 |
| 2. | "Oliloqui Valley" | 8:28 |
| 3. | "Cantaloupe Island" | 5:32 |
| 4. | "The Egg" | 14:00 |
| 5. | "One Finger Snap" (alternate take) | 7:37 |
| 6. | "Oliloqui Valley" (alternate take) | 10:47 |
Personnel
- Herbie Hancock – piano
- Freddie Hubbard – cornet
- Ron Carter – double bass
- Tony Williams – drums
Technical personnel
- Alfred Lion – producer
- Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
- Reid Miles – design
- Francis Wolff – photography
- Nora Kelly – liner notes
Charts
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] | 67 |
References
- Billboard Dec 5, 1964
- DiMartino, Dave (2016). Music in the 20th Century (3 Vol Set). Routledge. p. 273. ISBN 978-1-317-46430-3. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- Salzman, Jack; Smith, David L.; West, Cornel (1996). Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. Macmillan Library Reference. p. 1185. ISBN 978-0-02-897365-4. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles (CD liner notes). Blue Note Records. 98796.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2011). "Empyrean Isles - Herbie Hancock | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- Jones, Dave (20 June 2019). "Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles". Jazz Journal. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- Nicholson, Stuart. "Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles". Jazzwise. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 93. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 641. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 24, 2023.