Building on the orchestral textures of his 1968 album Speak Like a Child , Hancock expanded his palette into a nonet (nine-piece band). The ensemble features an unusual combination of woodwinds and brass, including bass clarinet and alto flute, which provided a rich, dark tonal color. : Piano, Electric Piano Johnny Coles : Flugelhorn Joe Henderson : Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute Garnett Brown : Trombone Buster Williams : Bass Albert "Tootie" Heath : Drums
: A multi-sectioned piece inspired by Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring . Herbie Hancock - The Prisoner (1969, 1995, Blue...
The album is a poignant social concept piece dedicated to the memory of , who was assassinated just a year prior to the recording. Hancock used the metaphor of "the prisoner" to express the long-standing social and psychological imprisonment of Black people in America. Building on the orchestral textures of his 1968
At the time of its release, Hancock remarked that he felt closer to his "real self" through this music than on any previous recording. Musical Direction and Personnel The album is a poignant social concept piece
: Hubert Laws (flute), Jerome Richardson (bass clarinet/flute), Tony Studd and Jack Jeffers (bass trombone), Romeo Penque (bass clarinet). Track Listing