Pianist Herbie Hancock was all of 20 when he recorded on his first album. He appeared as a sideman on Out Of This World, with the Pepper Adams/Donald Byrd Quintet. These three musicians would record three studio albums in 1961, with a fourth live club performance that same year. [Photo of Herbie Hancock courtesy of Arkadia Records]
The first Adams/Byrd LP was recorded for Warwick, founded by Morty Craft in 1959. Craft had been head of single record sales at MGM, and Warwick was a division of United Telefilm, a Canadian company. The label would be shuttered in 1962.
The three studio albums were Out of This World (Warwick), Chant (Blue Note) and Royal Flush (Blue Note), with Hip Entertainment Vol. 1: Donald Byrd/Pepper Adams (VGM). Chant wouldn’t be released by Blue Note until 1979, probably to avoid an overabundance of Byrd/Adams recordings coming out in tight succession and cannibalizing sales.
On Out of This World, the quintet featured Donald Byrd (tp),Pepper Adams (bar), Teddy Charles (vib), Herbie Hancock (p), Laymon Jackson (b) and Jimmy Cobb (d). [Photo above of Pepper Adams and Donald Byrd at the Half Note on Nov. 11, 1960]
Produced by Teddy Charles, the album featured six songs: Out of This World (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer), Curro’s (Donald Byrd), It’s a Beautiful Evening (Ray Rasch, Dotty Wayne), Mr. Lucky Theme (Henry Mancini), Bird House (Donald Byrd) and Day Dream (Duke Ellington, John Latouche, Billy Strayhorn).
The record is an astonishing showcase for Hancock, who sounds far more advanced than his age would indicate. Byrd’s delicate, patient, high-register horn plays neatly off Adams’s taut, sub-basement baritone saxophone. Of particular note is It’s a Beautiful Evening, with extended, aching solos by Byrd and Hancock. Adams and Hancock deliver a lavish solo on the tender ballads Great God.
On Chant, the bassist and drummer change: Donald Byrd (tp), Pepper Adams (bar), Herbie Hancock (p), Doug Watkins (b) and Teddy Robinson (d).
The tracks are I’m an Old Cowhand (Johnny Mercer), You’re Next (Donald Byrd), Chant (Duke Pearson), That’s All (Alan Brandt, Bob Haymes), Great God (Donald Byrd) and Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish).
I’m an Old Cowhand is taken at a spirited clip, and the solos are spectacular. Chant is a walking blues ballad with a rich solo by Hancock.
On Royal Flush, the bassist and drummer changed again: Donald Byrd (tp), Pepper Adams (bar), Herbie Hancock (p), Butch Warren (b) and Billy Higgins (d)
The tracks are Hush (Donald Byrd), I’m a Fool to Want You (Joel Herron, Frank Sinatra, Jack Wolf), Jorgie’s (Donald Byrd), Shangri-La (Donald Byrd), 6M’s (Donald Byrd) and Requiem (Herbie Hancock). Requiem is precious and deeply felt.
And finally, on the live album, recorded at Jorgie’s Jazz Club in St. Louis on June 24, 1961, the quintet featured Donald Byrd (tp), Pepper Adams (bar), Herbie Hancock (p), Cleveland Eaton (b) and Teddy Robinson (d).
The gig recording captures the group with a different level of freedom and relaxation. Overall, Hancock not only brings a cohesive, intellectual approach to the piano with the quintet but instantly finds his place with two extraordinary players, Byrd and Adams. These albums would ignite Hancock’s long and stellar, dynamic career.
A special thanks to Bill Kirchner.
Below are all of the albums mentioned above, in the order they were recorded:
Here’s Out of This World…
Here’s Chant…
Here’s Hip Entertainment Vol. 1: Donald Byrd/Pepper Adams, live at Jorgie’s Jazz Club in St. Louis…
And here’s Royal Flush…