Herbie Hancock - Dedication (1974/2015) Hi Res

This is a unique experiment in the Hancock discography, recorded in Tokyo in just one day during a tour of Japan Dedication songs. It contains two introspective, complex solo acoustic piano tracks, 'Maiden Voyage' and 'Dolphin Dance,' which are notable since they date from a period when Hancock was supposedly totally immersed in electronics.

There even two more unusual things 'Nobu,' a one-man show recorded in real time with the sample-and-hold feature of an ARP 2600 synthesizer providing a rhythm section for Hancock's electric keyboards, followed by 'Cantaloupe Island' with a pre-recorded synth bassline. It is a fascinating look-back at the charms and stringent limitations of mid-'70s analog keyboards, as well as a challenge to Hancock's on-the-wing inventiveness and despite some inevitable stiffness in the rhythm, he comes through with some colorful work. This would be the first of several Japan-only Hancock albums from the '70s, an indication that Japanese jazz fans were (and perhaps still are) far more open-minded and free-spending than their American counterparts.