A bright, powerful, timeless recording., Herbie Hancock is one of the most ingenious and excellent pianists of the twentieth century. He could compose entertaining, brightly done songs that would not only be a big hit on the charts but be great as well. All of the songs on Cantaloupe Island are filled with exotic, amazing solos and catchy compositions. Such tracks could only be done by Herbie Hancock; he creates a legendary album here. Most enjoyable to add are the great people in jazz who join him for this project: Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, George Coleman, and many others.
The whole album is just spectacular. The instant classic "Cantaloupe Island" features a little piano loop played over and over for a jazzy feeling. Freddie Hubbard's trumpet solo is perfect for the song. The way the loop and Herbie's solo go together is the greatest. The next single, "Watermelon Man", has a different piano loop and works in the same fasion. This time, Dexter Gordon joins the mix and turns in an incredible solo. Freddie Hubbard's solo is excellent, and Herbie's is a little short, but it works out brilliantly with the rest of the song. The slower but always exciting tropical sounds of "Driftin'" feature Donald Byrd on an excellent tune. Hank Mobley's solo is swinging and solid as usual, and Herbie steals the show by playing terrifically. The bouncy "Blind Man, Blind Man" is classic Herbie, featuring great solos over a great beat. The similiar "And What If I Don't" bounces as well, and has great trumpet and guitar solos. The third single, "Maiden Voyage" is a fantastic ballad, with its dreamy sounds and solos from Freddie and Herbie.
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