Empyrean Isles

Empyrean Isles
Empyrean Isles
Studio album by Herbie Hancock
Released	November 1964
Recorded	June 17, 1964
Studio	Van Gelder Studio (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey)
Genre	Hard bop; modal jazz; soul jazz;
Length	35:20
Label	Blue Note
Producer	Alfred Lion
Herbie Hancock chronology

Empyrean Isles is the fourth studio album by American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, released on Blue Note Records in November 1964.^[2]^[3] The album features Hancock alongside trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams.

Recording and composition

Empyrean Isles was recorded at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on June 17, 1964.^[4] Freddie Hubbard played cornet rather than his typical trumpet on the session.^[4] The four compositions on the album, including the future standard "Cantaloupe Island", are Hancock originals written over a two-year period.^[5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[5]
Jazz Journal	^[6]
Jazzwise	^[7]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	^[8]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	^[9]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded Empyrean Isles four out of four stars.^[9]

AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album five out of five stars, calling it "a record that officially established Hancock as a major artist in his own right."^[5]

Track listing

Original release

All tracks are written by Herbie Hancock

Side 1
No.	Title	Length
1.	"One Finger Snap"	7:20
2.	"Oliloqui Valley"	8:28

Side 2
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Cantaloupe Island"	5:32
2.	"The Egg"	14:00
Total length:		35:20

1999 CD reissue

All tracks are written by Herbie Hancock

No.	Title	Length
1.	"One Finger Snap"	7:20
2.	"Oliloqui Valley"	8:28
3.	"Cantaloupe Island"	5:32
4.	"The Egg"	14:00
5.	"One Finger Snap" (alternate take)	7:37
6.	"Oliloqui Valley" (alternate take)	10:47

Personnel

Herbie Hancock – piano
Freddie Hubbard – cornet
Ron Carter – double bass
Tony Williams – drums

Technical personnel

Alfred Lion – producer
Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
Reid Miles – design
Francis Wolff – photography
Nora Kelly – liner notes

Charts

Chart performance for *Empyrean Isles*
Chart (2023)	Peak position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[10]	67

References

^ Billboard Dec 5, 1964
^ DiMartino, Dave (2016). Music in the 20th Century (3 Vol Set). Routledge. p. 273. ISBN 978-1-317-46430-3. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
^ Salzman, Jack; Smith, David L.; West, Cornel (1996). Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. Macmillan Library Reference. p. 1185. ISBN 978-0-02-897365-4. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
^ ^a ^b Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles (CD liner notes). Blue Note Records. 98796.
^ ^a ^b ^c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2011). "Empyrean Isles - Herbie Hancock | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
^ Jones, Dave (20 June 2019). "Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles". Jazz Journal. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
^ Nicholson, Stuart. "Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles". Jazzwise. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 93. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
^ ^a ^b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 641. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 24, 2023.

[1] Billboard Dec 5, 1964

[2] DiMartino, Dave (2016). Music in the 20th Century (3 Vol Set). Routledge. p. 273. ISBN 978-1-317-46430-3. Retrieved 16 December 2019.

[3] Salzman, Jack; Smith, David L.; West, Cornel (1996). Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. Macmillan Library Reference. p. 1185. ISBN 978-0-02-897365-4. Retrieved 16 December 2019.

[CD-4] Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles (CD liner notes). Blue Note Records. 98796.

[AM-5] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2011). "Empyrean Isles - Herbie Hancock | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 June 2011.

[6] Jones, Dave (20 June 2019). "Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles". Jazz Journal. Retrieved 3 February 2024.

[7] Nicholson, Stuart. "Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles". Jazzwise. Retrieved 3 February 2024.

[RSJRG-8] Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 93. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.

[Penguin-9] Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 641. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.

[ac_Germany4_Herbie_Hancock-10] "Offiziellecharts.de – Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 24, 2023.

[2]