This has been an underground classic for years; I'm happy to say that this reissue presents us with a strong remastered sound and a quality package.

The music's brilliant and a bit unlike anything else. It's truly musical fusion (fusion of rock, jazz, and funk). The band's playing is top-notch and the musical concepts are ambitious. The overall effect of the music is, as one friend of mine says, similar to watching a fish tank full of flourescent, brightly-colored fish go through their paces. It's basically a real head trip and highly musical. Unfortunately Hancock disbanded Mwandishi subsequent to this recording and never reached for these heights again.

Herbie disbanded his sextet shortly after this recording to form 'Headhunters". Though I'm a big fan of his funk quartet it's a shame that this line of thought wasn't continued. He himself said that there was nowhere else to go with this music and perhaps he's right. However, Sextant stands as a powerful milestone in the post "Bitch's Brew" world. Innovative in just about every respect; instrumentation, composition, use of synthesizers and incredible solos from Herbie and Eddie Henderson et al. Though this is unquestionably avant-garde the earthy (and unearthly) grooves makes it accessible to anyone with an open ear and mind. Though recorded in the early seventies this music is still fresh and futuristic. A wonderful artistic highpoint for Herbie Hancock in a career not lacking in creative highpoints. My highest recommendation!

Wow. This album was the last recording of the Mwandishi group before the Headhunters era of funk. However, in these earlier Herbie explorations, you can get lost in the shifting sea of sounds...this music is insanely good! Rain Dance can probably be considered the first ever "techno" song, consisting of open, spacey improvisation around a synth loop. Hidden Shadows is definitely my favorite track-- from its opening to finish, it continuously builds up energy, from the great polyrythmic drums and bass, to Eddie Henderson's scathing trumpet solo, to the constantly shifting psychedelic sounds of Herbie's keys and Dr. Patrick Gleeson's synth contributions, until Herbie takes it one step further on the acoustic piano. Finally, there's Hornets. Well...you might want to burn one before this- 20-minutes of high-energy improvisation, complete with kazoo and the repetitive, driving two-note bassline, and steady drums...sounds beautiful, spacey, funky, and intense in a 70's Miles, On the Corner kind of Way. Get this album, sit back, and enjoy where it takes you!!!!

A lot of what went on in fusion before it became commercial and popularized was experimentation with sound. Armed with new electronic toys, musicians created all sorts of sonic textures and new tensions. The masters of the genre were Joe Zawinul with Weather Report and Herbie Hancock with the Mwandishi group heard here. This album really takes it up a notch from "Crossings," the first to feature Patrick Gleeson on synthesizers. Here, Gleeson is featured much more prominently, and the textures of sounds he creates are unlike anything heard before and superior to most everything since. On "Crossings," the horn players are spotlighted individually, whereas here it's more of a group sound; though soloing takes place, the horns are more for different colors to offset the synthesizers. The resulting album is one that sounds extremely alien to the listening mainstream, even to those who appreciate jazz. But to those with an open ear and mind, this album features some of the most fascinating sound (even more sound than music) ever documented on record. A lot of early fusion like this is searching that takes place on record, and though the searching itself can be difficult to listen to, there are some fantastic moments buried within the extended tracks. My favorite track here is "Hidden Shadows," a very funky (though in a different way) jam in something like 19/8 time. But the other two tracks are fascinating as well. What happened as fusion progressed is a streamlining, taking the gems found in the searching and dispensing with the more difficult, tense sections which lead into the gems. While there is some great later fusion, it never matches the spontaneity found on albums like this.

My suggestion if this description sounds at all interesting: buy some of Hancock's material for Blue Note, like "Empyrean Isles," "Speak Like a Child," and "The Prisoner" which document his more adventurous early work, then check out "Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings" which led up to this album. If you like it, you'll get caught up in wanting to see where Hancock's music goes next. Herbie Hancock was and is one of jazz's most progressive musicians, and it is vital to understand the various stages of his development. He's one of those figures much like Miles Davis (with whom he worked for the second half of the 60s...THAT is some magnificent music) who has been a barometer for where jazz is going at all times, seeing as how he's one of the artists taking it in new directions. Thus, the music changes a lot over time, though the impeccable musicianship remains a constant. This album is difficult but worthwhile to learn to appreciate.

Look, it is indeed an innovative recording, and much credit is due Herbie for big ears and hearing what it was I was doing and incorporating it into his band (from Crossings to Sextant and a few guest recording appearances afterward, none of significance after Sextant). But, darnit, they weren't Herbie's innovations, they were mine. I fought my way into the band (even Herbie's rock/funk oriented producer, David Rubinson, initially had doubts), and when I first joined the band, Downbeat slammed Crossings, saying "the less said about the synth player the better," and then a year and a half later nominated me for outstanding new jazz artist and called me a pioneer of electronic jazz--which was literally true: I was the first guy there. But history has apparently decided otherwise (which is why we need better historians) and I've been "disappeared" in favor of a simpler story, where Herbie introduced synths to jazz. Not quite.

(Dr.)Patrick Gleeson (patrickgleeson.com)