''Empyrean Isles'' is the fourth studio album by American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

, released on

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

in November 1964. The album features Hancock alongside trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

, and drummer Tony Williams.

Recording and composition

''Empyrean Isles'' was recorded at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on June 17, 1964. Freddie Hubbard played

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

rather than his typical trumpet on the session. The four compositions on the album, including the future standard " Cantaloupe Island", are Hancock originals written over a two-year period.

Reception

The Penguin Guide to Jazz ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'' awarded ''Empyrean Isles'' four out of four stars.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

critic

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

gave the album five out of five stars, calling it "a record that officially established Hancock as a major artist in his own right."

Track listing

Original release

1999 CD reissue

Personnel

– piano * Freddie Hubbard –

– 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

References

{{Authority control 1964 albums Blue Note Records albums Herbie Hancock albums Albums produced by Alfred Lion Albums recorded at Van Gelder Studio Hard bop albums Modal jazz albums Soul jazz albums