Date posted: 1 year ago
Title:
Chameleon
Description:
Herbie Hancock originally assembled the band for his 1973 album Head Hunters. The Headhunters' new lineup and instrumentation, retaining only wind player Bennie Maupin from Hancock's previous sextet, reflected his new musical direction. Bassist Paul Jackson was really the only other member who maintained a continuous presence in the lineup in subsequent recordings and concerts. On the original Head Hunters album the other band members were percussionist Bill Summers and drummer Harvey Mason.
The Headhunters continued to work with Hancock throughout the seventies, although the precise line-up varied from album to album. For the next Headhunters album, 1974's Thrust, Mike Clark took over drumming duties. Both Mason and Clark contribued drums to the third Headhunters album, 1975's Man-Child, which featured guest appearances from Stevie Wonder on harmonica and Wayne Shorter on soprano sax in its greatly expanded line-up. (The release notes for Man-Child credit 18 musicians, in contrast to the simple quintet of their debut.) 1975 also saw their first album without Hancock, Survival of the Fittest, featuring the hit "God Made Me Funky". This song was sampled by The Fugees for their track "Ready or Not," and has been covered by Jamiroquai as a live track.
Secrets (1976) saw James Levi installed as drummer, Kenneth Nash on percussion, and the addition of Ray Parker and Melvin "Wah Wah" Watson on guitar, alongside regulars Hancock, Maupin and Jackson. This was the Headhunters line-up who performed two tracks at the V.S.O.P. concert on June 29, 1976 as part of the Newport Jazz Festival. The concert was released as an album in 1977.
1978's Sunlight saw guest appearances from renowned bassist Jaco Pastorius of Weather Report and drummer Tony Williams. The same year saw the band's second album without Hancock, Straight from the Gate.
As the 1970s turned to the 1980s, Herbie Hancock drifted away from the band as he moved into his electro-oriented phase, and they ceased operation as a visible unit. The band reunited with Hancock for the 1998 album Return of the Headhunters.
Clark, Jackson and Summers have since continued recording and performing as The Headhunters, based in New Orleans, with Victor Atkins or Robert Walter filling in for Hancock on keyboards. They released an album, Evolution Revolution, for Basin Street Records in 2003, and backed up the saxophonist Rebecca Barry on her 2005 album Rebecca Barry and the Headhunters. In 2005 Hancock assembled a new group called Headhunters 2005. The group included guitarists John Mayer and Lionel Loueke, bassist Marcus Miller, drummer Terri Lynne Carrington, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and percussionist Munyungo Jackson.
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