Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles (Vinyl LP | US Reissue | 1975)

Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles is pianist Herbie Hancock's fourth Blue Note album (cat. no. BST-84175). It was recorded on June 17, 1964 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, produced by Alfred Lion with Rudy Van Gelder engineering, and first released in 1964. Hancock leads a quartet without saxophone, with Freddie Hubbard on cornet plus Ron Carter and Tony Williams from Miles Davis's rhythm section of the time. Cantaloupe Island became one of Hancock's best-known tunes, while The Egg takes up most of side two at around 14 minutes. This copy is a 1975 US reissue with label inner sleeve.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Blue Note BST-84175
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album, Stereo
• Pressing: US reissue
• Country: USA
• Year of this pressing: 1975 (original: 1964)
• Genre: Jazz, Modal Jazz
• Extras: Label inner sleeve

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: VG+
• Cover: VG+ (corner and shelf wear)

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale (SKU SH HH1).

Tracklist

Side A

1. One Finger Snap (Herbie Hancock)
2. Oliloqui Valley (Herbie Hancock)

Side B

1. Cantaloupe Island (Herbie Hancock)
2. The Egg (Herbie Hancock)

Personnel

Herbie Hancock (piano), Freddie Hubbard (cornet), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums). Produced by Alfred Lion; recorded by Rudy Van Gelder.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
No. The original was released by Blue Note in 1964. This copy is a 1975 US reissue with the same catalogue number BST-84175 and label inner sleeve.

Does Freddie Hubbard play trumpet here?
On Empyrean Isles Hubbard plays cornet. It sounds a little softer than the trumpet and suits the open, modal pieces well.

What does Media VG+ / Cover VG+ mean?
VG+ (Very Good Plus) means both record and sleeve show light wear. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more Herbie Hancock records?
Yes, for example Herbie Hancock – Takin' Off and Herbie Hancock – The Prisoner. More titles are in our Jazz collection.