Hancock, "Directions" & Haynes, "Birds of Feather&q

[Bol]

I usually do not go for current releases. But I've been really enjoying Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and Roy Haynes's "Trio with Perez & Patitucci" and "Love Letters", so that I'm beginning to look around for CDs with some of the same personnel. I'm considering the following two:

Herbie Hancock, "Directions in Music" (Verve)

Roy Haynes, "Brids of a Feather" (Dreyfus)

Could you let me know if you have opinions about these, and esp. as to whether these are similar to the 3 above-named CDs that I have and like?

Thanks in advance.

[ejp626]

I think you would like Bird of a Feather. I'll have to listen to it again to give any real feedback, but I thought it was good on the first listen.

[sal]

Both are great.

[CJ Shearn]

I had the Hancock for a while upon release and I sold it. The playing by all (Hargrove, Brecker, Herbie, Pattitucci, Blade) isn't at fault, its just that the Massey Hall gig wasn't the best show. I have a CDR of a concert on that tour from 9/20/01 and the tunes are longer, and the playing much more intense. Herbie really locks on in his solos and he has that real big rhythmic kick that Mike Weil likes so much. On that show, the intensity of Herbie's playing reminds me of the VSOP stuff.

[cannonball-addict]

The Directions is not that good. The solos are okay....But on the other hand entirely, the Roy Haynes is an amazing disc. Dig Yardbird Suite especially. Everyone is playing their ass off. But I may be partial cuz it's Kenny Garrett on there.

If I had more money, I would buy 10 of the Haynes and give them to my musician buddies.

[Alon Marcus]

Everything that is modeled after Miles' sixties quientet has always been of great interest for me and so are Brecker's cooperation with Hancock. Directions is really good though it is certainly not better than the classic V.S.O.P

I have the Haynes cd and enjoy it very much the main reason being Kenny Garrett. Dave Kikowsky, the pianist, also does a very good job there.

[pryan]

I have both of these discs and enjoy BIRDS OF A FEATHER a great deal more than the DIRECTIONS album. I must admit I was more excited to hear the live disc but my hopes were too high, I suppose. There is some fine playing on DIRECTIONS, but it mainly comes from Blade and Pattitucci IMHO. BIRDS is a lot more interesting in terms of the re-arranging of Parker songs (both tunes that Bird wrote and other songs that he played frequently like "What Is This Thing Called Love" and "April in Paris") and the solos in general are of a higher caliber from all of the participants - Hargrove in particular has some tasty spots, as does pianist Kikowski (sp?). In short, go for BIRDS and see if you can find the other one used.

[RainyDay]

I guess I'm the odd woman out but I liked Directions more. I saw the live performance in Berkeley and was quite knocked out by it. The record is an extension of that although the live peformance was considerably more stunning. Brecker's Naima solo is lovely, in person lovely and powerful. I like the Birds... record, and I say this as HUGE Kenny Garrett fan, but it didn't knock me out in the same way at all. I play Directions often and Birds seldom.

[Alexander]

I own both and I enjoy them immensely. I can't recommend them highly enough. The Hancock CD is frequently electrifying and the Haynes CD is even better.

[king ubu]

another for the Haynes! Really like it. Can't comment on the "Directions", as I don't have it, but I'm a bit sceptical about such programme albums... of course the Haynes falls in that bag, as well, but as I know that already, there's no need to be sceptical about it ...

ubu