Sextant (album)

Sextant
Studio album by Herbie Hancock
Released March 30, 1973
Recorded 1972
Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco
Different Fur Studios, San Francisco
Genre Avant-garde jazz, jazz fusion
Length 39:02
Label Columbia
Producer David Rubinson
Herbie Hancock chronology

Crossings
(1972)		 Sextant
(1973)		 Head Hunters
(1973)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Julian Cope (favorable)[2]
Rolling Stone 1998 [3]
Rolling Stone 2004 [4]
Uppity Music (favorable)[5]
Virgin Encyclopedia [6]
Penguin Guide to Jazz [7]

Sextant is the eleventh album by Herbie Hancock, and the last album with his Mwandishi Band.

About the Album

Released in March 30, 1973 but recorded in 1972, Sextant was Herbie Hancock's first album on Columbia Records. It was a complex, harmonically and rhythmically challenging musical statement. Hancock was no stranger to electronic music, having used synthesisers extensively during his short time with Warner Bros. Records, but Sextant took his sound to a new level.

While a select few praised his new approach, Hancock alienated the bulk of his audience, who found his sound extremely inaccessible. Made up of just three tracks, the funkier elements of tracks such as "Hornets", also point toward the commercial success he would enjoy in the 80s with Future Shock and Sound-System, among others.

Hancock's first recording on Columbia would be his last recording with his Mwandishi-era group, with Sextant's poor album sales influencing his move into more mainstream music with Head Hunters.

Track listing

All songs by Herbie Hancock

  1. "Rain Dance" - 9:16
  2. "Hidden Shadows" - 10:11
  3. "Hornets" - 19:35

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Jurek, Thom (2011). "Sextant - Herbie Hancock | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  2. ↑ Cope, Julian (2011). "Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | Unsung | Reviews | Herbie Hancock - Sextant". headheritage.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  3. ↑ Scherman, Tony (2011). "Sextant : Herbie Hancock : Review : Rolling Stone". web.archive.org. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  4. ↑ RSguide, 2004
  5. ↑ "Uppity Music: Herbie Hancock: Sextant (1973)". uppitymusic.com. 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  6. ↑ "Acclaimed Music - Sextant". acclaimedmusic.net. 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  7. ↑ "Acclaimed Music - Sextant". acclaimedmusic.net. 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2011.

External links