Jazz Anniversary: June 17, 1964 @ New Jersey RVG “Cantaloupe Island” by Herbie Hancock

June 17, 1964 “Cantaloupe Island”
by Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter & Tony Williams at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey for Blue Note (Empyrean Isles)

This is a masterpiece by Herbie Hancock, a pianist who is also a renowned melody maker and a giant in the modern jazz world. It features a familiar phrase that has been used not only in jazz but also sampled by the rap group US3, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard charts and being featured in TV commercials.

The highlight is hearing Freddie Hubbard, who replaced Miles Davis in his band at the time, deliver a youthful, brilliant, and unusually tenacious rather than sharp solo on the cornet.

Although Miles' famous live albums, "Four & More" and "My Funny Valentine," were recorded in February of the same year as this work, it can be said that this rhythm section displayed a fresh momentum in their performance, just as they did on this album.

Under Hancock's leadership, the performance of this rhythm section, while meticulously crafted, allows for more individual expression from the members because it has a higher degree of freedom than a band under Miles' control.

Hancock is also a great melody maker and arranger. As evidenced by his masterpiece "Chameleon," he can flexibly transform his composition and performance styles. In this work, after two serious and stoic tracks with a new jazz sensibility that include elements of modal and free jazz, the album takes a sudden turn to a funky, groovy, and slightly more relaxed—though still demanding—sound, serving as the album's climax. It is like the feeling of ecstasy when entering a cold water bath after silently enduring the heat in a sauna, or perhaps like arriving in a utopia.

The highlights of this song are the main theme and its nuances. The melody is unforgettable once you hear it, and in the opening "te-te" section, the piano subtly doubles the cornet, adding depth to the sound. Also impressive is the "scone" of the snare drum that rings out loudly after the three-hit cymbal "jaan" by drummer Tony Williams in the latter half of the main melody. These first 35 seconds alone are enough to make a hit song.

Hancock has composed several songs named after fruits; this one is melon, and another is watermelon. Since watermelon is "Watermelon" in English, one wonders if Hancock is a big fan of melons. Perhaps there is some connection in that both are summer fruits, and the songs are both combinations of catchy melodies and funky styles.

To be precise, the melon in this song is a cantaloupe, a type of North American muskmelon, which unfortunately is rarely distributed in Japan, where many high-quality melons are available.

This work is based on a fantasy world, with the concept of following a musical adventure to the unexplored and mysterious Empyrean Isles that appear in the mythology from which the album takes its name. The cantaloupe island of this work appears in the middle of that journey. As the name suggests, it is said that cantaloupes overflowing with a rich aroma grow large everywhere, and eating them grants immortality. The liner notes by mystery novelist Nora Kelly, which explain this mystically, were also used for the next album with a similar concept, "Maiden Voyage."

The album cover also follows that concept, and for a Blue Note release, it is unusual in that it uses a natural landscape photograph that somehow evokes a sense of adventure.

Thinking about it again, Blue Note's photographic album covers usually feature people or signs of human presence, such as silhouettes, parts of a body, or man-made structures, so this landscape photo with absolutely no human presence is unique and very rare. As far as I have confirmed, it might only be the following cover related to birds by trumpeter Donald Byrd, a benefactor of Hancock.

In terms of sound quality, a humid, basement-like atmosphere covers the whole, giving the impression that the high frequencies are masked. Even Hubbard's sharp cornet and Williams' piercing cymbals are suppressed due to the emphasis on the mid-range, creating a hard-boiled jazz feel.

For those who want to enjoy Hancock even more, please listen to this rich performance.

For those who want to be even more thrilled by Tony Williams' sharp drumming, please listen to this.

If you liked Freddie Hubbard's lively performance, please also listen to this masterpiece.

Finally, for a limited time until June 25, NHK Radio's "Jazz Tonight" is featuring this album with commentary on all the tracks, so if you are interested, please check it out. This song starts at 26:45. It is said to be a valuable original record owned by NHK, and thanks to the capability of their playback equipment, you can enjoy it with quite high sound quality. It's at a level that makes you want to buy a record player and records.