JAMMIN' WITH HERBIE [AKA: ROCK YOUR SOUL; VOYAGER]

This album not only exhibits the cumbersome band names and titles of jazz albums throughout recording history but also is the perfect example of how a few recorded tracks that went virtually unheard at the time of release would go on to be repackaged, renamed under not only totally different track names and sequential order but also by completely different composers and artists! This album would have probably been a total obscurity in history had it not been for the the fact that it is the very first recording to feature HERBIE HANCOCK.

Let me list all the differences simply as a place to sort out the dizzying variations.

Those released under the artist name

PEPPER ADAMS & DONALD BYRD QUINTET

Original release:

album: Out Of This World

released in 1961 as Warwick W 2041

tracks:

1. Curro's

2. It's a Beautiful Evening

3. Mr. Lucky Theme

4. Bird House

5. Day Dreams

Second version:

album: Out Of This World Vol 2

released in 1988 as Warwick 2041 - 2

tracks:

1. I'm An Old Cowhand (Unreleased)

2. Day Dreams (alt. take)

3. Out Of This World (alt. take)

4. Mr. Lucky (alt. take)

5. Curro's (alt. take)

6. Byrd House (alt. Take)

Third version:

album: Out Of This World: The Complete Warwick Sessions

released in 2010 on CD

tracks:

1. Byrd House

2. Mr. Lucky

3. Day Dreams

4. I'm An Old Cowhand

5. Curro's

6. It's A Beautiful Evening

7. Out Of This World

Many of these tracks have also been released and put together in many ways as HERBIE HANCOCK album compilations as well. These album titles include:

Voyager

Jammin'(with Herbie)

Hancock!

And

ROCK YOUR SOUL, which is technically a 2007 compilation of versions of these tracks

They have been renamed as they've been repackaged:

1. Jammin' With Herbie = Curro's

2. Herbie's Blues = Bird House

3. Rock Your Soul = Mr. Lucky

4. T.C.B. With Herbie = Out Of This World

5. Soul Power = Day Dreams

6. Cat Call = I'm An Old Cowhand

Note that "It's A Beautiful Evening" is missing from this release

After all that, let me get to the music. Well what we get here is some nice pleasant hard bop fairly standard from the period. Nothing extraordinary yet nothing horrible either. It is interesting to hear the very first recording from HERBIE HANCOCK where he simply accompanies the band and even though you can hear a trace of his jazz funk sound that would evolve into more interesting creations, I don't think this is an essential recording by any means. His piano playing pretty much continues on his very first album "Takin' Off" where it has improved. I guess I would pick this up at a very reduced price but don't lose any sleep if you can't find it. One of those collector's items and a good example of how poorly some earlier jazz albums were re-released over the decades, which makes it extremely confusing.