Directstep

Personnel: Herbie Hancock (vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet, mini-Moog synthesizer, Oberheim synthesizer, vocoder); Ray Obiedo (guitar); Bennie Maupin (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, lyricon); Webster Lewis (Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond b-3 organ, background vocals); Paul Jackson (electric bass); Alphonse Mouzon (drums); Bill Summers (percussion).
Recording information: 10/17/1978/10/18/1978.
For the rabid audiophiles in Japan, Herbie Hancock went to Tokyo to record a direct-to-disc LP that later became one of the world's earliest CD releases. Due perhaps to the arduous one-take-only nature of the direct-to-disc process, Hancock takes the rare step of using a second keyboardist, Webster Lewis, to handle the multiple electronic textures; the rest of the cast is a quorum of Headhunters (Bennie Maupin, reeds; Paul Jackson, bass; Bill Summers, percussion), plus guitarist Ray Obiedo and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. Understandably, the music sometimes sounds a bit inhibited and structured, but there are some refreshingly jarring rhythmic disruptions in "Butterfly," "Shiftless Shuffle" eventually develops a fine roadhouse groove, and the extended "I Thought It Was You" cuts the original version on Sunlight. The LP sound is excellent, especially the rock-solid bass and drums. ~ Richard S. Ginell