Directstep

Directstep is the twenty-fourth album by Herbie Hancock.

About the Album

Directstep, released only in Japan, was one of the earliest albums ever released on CD. Webster Lewis became second keyboardist on this album in order for Hancock to handle the multiple layers of electronic texture that he hoped to achieve. Hancock re-recorded "I Thought It Was You" (originally on Sunlight), making it even more electronic with his vocoding. Butterfly was also re-recorded (originally on Thrust) making Directstep the second album after the original version (the first being Flood), to have a rendition of "Butterfly". (The fourth would be Dis Is Da Drum and the tune is also featured on Kimiko Kasai's LP, Butterfly, which Herbie plays on.)

Track listing

1. "Butterfly" (Hancock, Maupin) - 7:55
2. "Shiftless Shuffle" (Hancock, Jackson, Mason, Summers) - 7:10
3. "I Thought It Was You" (Cohen, Hancock, Ragin) - 15:30

Personnel

• Herbie Hancock - Electric Piano, Clavinet, Synthesizer, Vocals, Vocoder
• Paul Jackson - Bass
• Bennie Maupin - Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Lyricon
• Bill Summers - Percussion
• Webster Lewis - Organ, Synthesizer, Electric Piano (Rhodes), Backing Vocals
• Ray Obiedo - Guitar
• Alphonse Mouzon - Drums

References