William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

From: Fat Albert Rotunda ; Year: 1969; Genre: Jazz Fusion I haven't the foggiest as to why, but whenever I get the urge to listen to something by Herbie Hancock I immediately gravitate to his Fat Albert Rotunda record. I mean, I love other albums of his just as much or more, but this one just seems to always just "go with mood, vibe, etc." It was just one of those collections of music that seemingly encompassed most sensibilities. I mean, it is extremely technical and if you like complex music, then it'll work for you, or if you like jazz that is more "accessible" or something to just enjoy in the background, it is equally as good in those aspects. You know, I cannot remember hearing anyone say they do not like Herbie Hancock's music.... Anyway, this is obviously the title-track and fits the above description. From wot I understand this record and song were used for the primetime cartoon special:  Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert , which, in turn, led...

From: Death Wish: Original Soundtrack Recording ; Year: 1974; Genre: Jazz Fusion/classical Had Herbie Hancock's work on my mind most of last night and today. He has always been one whose music just mesmerizes me; a modern classical composer at the same level as the greats in my opinion. Anyway, it never clicked with me that he wrote the soundtrack to the original Charles Bronson epic Death Wish . Honestly, I have not watched the film for a long time, so it's not all that surprising I suppose. Really like the playful naming of the overall title with the play on words "sweet revenge," but with it being a suite of music the homo-phonetic sound of the two words was I guess too much to resist for Mr. Hancock. Suite Revenge is a collection of 5 shorter pieces of music (a): Striking Back , (b): Riverside Park , (c): The Alley , (d): Last Stop , and (e): 8th Avenue Station .   Hear Suite Revenge on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Jimi Hendrix Expe...

From: Fat Albert Rotunda ; Year: 1969; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Jazz-Funk Seem absolutely perfect for one of jazz legend Herbie Hancock's amazing compositions; and there are a lot, I mean A LOT to choose from. While each one of his albums and albums he appeared on have zero filler, I have always loved his Fat Albert Rotunda record. I just one I just put on and let it play all the way through without stopping and sometimes even putting the whole thing on repeat; it's just that good, full stop.   Hear Fat Mama on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Kingsmen - Louie Louie   My song pick 2 years ago today: Hawkwind - Spaceship Blues   My song pick 3 years ago today: Jamiroquai - Space Cowboy   My song pick 4 years ago today: Hall & Oates - You Make My Dreams (Come True)   My song pick 5 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Something's on the Move   My song pick 6 years ago today: Queen - Don't Try So Hard My song pick 7 years ago tod...

From: Thrust ; Year: 1974; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Funk Here's a ten+ minute wall of funky jazz fusion goodness for this Monday from the master musician/composer Herbie Hancock and the ensemble of master musicians that backed and fronted him on this solo recording.   Hear Palm Grease on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Wayne Shorter - Blues a la Carte   My song pick 2 years ago today: Sam & Dave - Soul Man   My song pick 3 years ago today: Hawkwind - The Phenomenon of Luminosity   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Cure - A Forest   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Temptations - I Wish It Would Rain My song pick 6 years ago today: The Eagles - Desperado My song pick 7 years ago today: Megadeth - Poisonous Shadows My song pick 8 years ago today: Miles Davis - Aïda My song pick 9 years ago today: James Blunt - So Long, Jimmy My song pick 10 years ago today: Alestorm - Death Throes of the Terrorsquid My song pick 11 yea...

From: Future Shock ; Year: 1983; Genre: Funk/Electronica/Hip-Hop Starting out another new month on the right foot today with it being a Funky Friday and all. Anyway, it just so happened that I had jazz legend Herbie Hancock on my mind, so I thought combining the two was am excellent idea. This piece off of his electro-funk record Future Shock really seemed like a perfect choice. You can definitely imagine break dancers in their colourful parachute pants doing their thing while this one plays; very retro '80s.   Hear Rockit on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Jethro Tull - Weathercock   My song pick 2 years ago today: Eric Clapton - It's In The Way That You Use It   My song pick 3 years ago today: Hawkwind - The Reason Is? My song pick 4 years ago today: Pink Floyd - Your Possible Pasts My song pick 5 years ago today: Jigsaw - Listen to the Joker My song pick 6 years ago today: James Brown - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag My song pick 7...

From: Head Hunters ; Year: 1973; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Funk/Hard Bop Jazz Had this one pop into my brain today whilst recovering from the Holiday and I thought it was an absolutely perfect pick. I originally heard a Latin/jazz cover of this exquisite piece of music from one of my Dad's instrumental super hit records; I still cannot find that exact version out of the over 200 covers of this classic. Really though, nothing can beat the original, or rather "originals;" he later re-imagined the hit song in a Jazz Fusion/Funk. Personally, I cannot choose which version I like better; they both are great. The original recording from his Takin' Off record is an excellent recording done in the hard bop style of jazz and probably more "accessible"to the regular listener, whilst the newer version is based around funk and jazz fusion, and while just as excellent, it evolved along with Herbie Hancock's musical proclivities and his overall tastes a decade later.   Hear ...

From: Head Hunters : Year: 1973; Genre: Jazz Fusion This one really paints a vivid mood with the incredible music. The song is a great one to just sit back, relax and let the tune carry you away.   Hear Vein Melter on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Steve Vai - The Blood & Tears   My song pick 2 years ago today: Melvins - Don't Forget to Breathe My song pick 3 years ago today: Simple Minds - Sanctify Yourself My song pick 4 years ago today: Bob Dylan - If Not For You My song pick 5 years ago today: Garbage - Supervixen My song pick 6 years ago today: Jon Oliva's Pain - Look at the World My song pick 7 years ago today: Foreigner - Blue Morning, Blue Day My song pick 8 years ago today: Voivod - Mechanical Mind My song pick 9 years ago today: Quasar - Fanfare/Seeing Stars My song pick 10 years ago today: Waylander - A Hero's Lament My song pick 11 years ago today: Queen - Seaside Rendezvous My song pick 12 years ago today:...

From: Thrust ; Year: 1974; Genre: Funk/Jazz Fusion I love to revisit Herbie Hancock's Headhunters' records; perfect for this Funky Friday pick. This is a great 9-plus minute musical journey of epic proportions. Really though, if you think about it this album only has 4 songs on it and not one song less than 7 minutes in length. About the only genre outside of progressive rock/metal to make such large and interesting pieces of music. Hear Actual Proof on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Jethro Tull - Old Ghosts My song pick two years ago today: Rush - The Wreckers My song pick three years ago today: Ian Anderson - After These Wars My song pick four years ago today: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal My song pick five years ago today: Paper Lace - The Night Chicago Died My song pick six years ago today: Muse - Starlight My song pick seven years ago today: Styx - Lorelei My song pick eight years ago today: Three Dog Night - Never Been To Spain...

From: Head Hunters ; Year: 1973; Genre: Funk/Jazz Fusion Even though I had already chosen a song from him, I felt like picking another one of Herbie Hancock's tracks for this Funky Friday ; this one comes from his second backing ensemble: The Head Hunters. This one's got an infectious groove laid down by the bass playing of Paul Jackson and the percussion/drumming of Bill Summers and Harvey Mason. The keyboards and use of the synthesizers in particular along with the horns fill the lead and rhythm perfectly to make it a joy to listen to. Hear Chameleon on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Yes - Siberian Khatru My song pick two years ago today: Maddy Prior - Mother and Child My song pick three years ago today: Ludwig Van Beethoven - Op.13 - Piano Sonata No.8 " Pathétique " My song pick four years ago today: Chet Atkins - Tears My song pick five years ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Tusk My song pick six years ago today: Fairport Convention - T...

From: Fat Albert Rotunda ; Year: 1969; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Funk/Soul I had another song in mind today, but Herbie Hancock's music started running through my mind, so I'm picking it. This is an interesting song with an infectioius groove; definitely a fun track to listen to on any day. Hear Oh! Oh! Here He Comes on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Lobo - Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend My song pick two years ago today: Rush - Different Strings My song pick three years ago today: Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song My song pick four years ago today: Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - Big Country My song pick five years ago today: ABBA - When All is Said and Done My song pick six years ago today: Hawkwind - Motorhead My song pick seven years ago today: Savatage - Can You Hear Me Now

From: Survival of the Fittest ; Year: 1975; Genre: Funk/Jazz Fusion It's another Funky Friday , (my 24th in a row), and the end of the month to boot. While the music is top-notch, the lyrics in this one leave something to be desired; you see the title of the song, yep that's all of the lyrics in the song; they get repeated and are used more as a rhythmic device than in the lead, melodic sense. Hear If You Got It, You'll Get It on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Billy Joel - Piano Man My song pick two years ago today: Pallas - Heart Attack My song pick three years ago today: Chet Atkins - Windy and Warm My song pick four years ago today: David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World My song pick five years ago today: Dire Straits - Industrial Disease My song pick six years ago today: Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride Picks for previous February 29ths (Leap Year Picks): My leap year pick on 2.29.12: Cheech & Chong - Cheborneck My leap year...

From: Survival of the Fittest ; Year: 1975; Genre: Funk/Jazz Fusion I almost forgot to pick a funk track today, which would've snapped my string of Funky Friday picks; today by the way is my 15th in a row. This is a rather famous track by Herbie Hancock's jazz/funk group The Headhunters and backed by The Pointer Sisters on the 9 minutes of funky jazz music. Hear God Make Me Funky on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Yes - Beyond & Before My song pick two years ago today: Billy Joel - The Downeaster 'Alexa' My song pick three years ago today: Oasis - Cast No Shadow My song pick four years ago today: Nightwish - Wanderlust My song pick five years ago today: Dizzy Gillespie - Salt Peanuts My song pick six years ago today: Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name

1400 Jaco Pastorius - Kuru/Speak Like a Child From: Jaco Pastorius , Year: 1976 Genre: Jazz Fusion I'm making my 1400 th song pick today. I thought that this awesome medley or sorts written by Jaco Pastorius and Herbie Hancock would be rather nice for the occasion. This is true piece of Jazz Fusion; it has more of a Rock, R&B, and Funk influence with amazing technical musicianship. Jaco sure lays down quite a mean groove throughout Kuru on his bass along with the drums/percussion. Herbie Hancock's keyboards and a host of string instruments fill up the rest quite nicely. I'd have to say that my favourite part of this piece is their rendition of Hancock's Speak like a Child ; there's so much feeling in their playing. I love how they bounce back and forth between the two songs' themes, it makes the overall piece quite dynamic. Hear Kuru/Speak Like a Child on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Grass Roots - Let's Live For To...

I found this track yesterday while doing an unrelated search; most Jazz musicians seem only to be separated by one or two degrees if that. I immediately fell in love with the song, (I am a sucker for some good Fusion and love Herbie Hancock's keyboard). Anyway, the song's title was a dedication to Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone. A very beautiful piece of Jazz Fusion with some Funk thrown in. Here is the studio version on YouTube. +