Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off 
Year: 1962
Label: 2007 Blue Note / Capitol; 24-bit remaster
2007 BN Rudy Van Gelder Remaster
Quality: CBR 320 kbps

“ TAKIN' OFF (1962), Herbie Hancock's debut as a leader, holds up exceptionally well decades after its release, even in light of the vast, eclectic, and excellent solo catalogue that followed. Still in the thick of his groundbreaking work with Miles Davis, Hancock had already established himself as a pianist and composer of the first order, and those qualities shine on TAKIN' OFF. Flanked by superb personnel that includes trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Dexter Gordon, and drummer Billy Higgins, Hancock offers six excellent compositions (including the famous "Watermelon Man") that balance between adventurousness and the rigors of classic hard bop. The Rudy Van Gelder remaster, released in 2007, brings this classic back in glorious clarity. ” 

Personnel:
Herbie Hancock (piano);
Dexter Gordon (tenor saxophone);
Freddie Hubbard (trumpet);
Butch Warren (bass);
Billy Higgins (drums).

Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off Tracklist:
01  Watermelon Man
02  Three Bags Full
03  Empty Pockets
04  The Maze
05  Driftin'
06  Alone and I
07  Watermelon Man (alternate take)
08  Three Bags Full (alternate take)
09  Empty Pockets (alternate take)