“Mwandishi” is the ninth album by Herbie Hancock, an American jazz pianist, composer and arranger born in Chicago, Illinois in 1940. It was released by Warner Bros.
The first album recorded by Herbie Hancock Sextet in the “Mwandishi” years in the early 1970s, while developing experimental music under the strong influence of the early electric Miles Davis: “In A Silent Way” (1969) and “Bitches Brew” (1970).
The personnel are Herbie Hancock (Fender Rhodes piano), Buster Williams (bass), Billy Hart (drums), Eddie Henderson (trumpet, flugelhorn), Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet, alto flute) and Julian Priester (trombones).
Spacey avant-garde jazz featuring Herbie Hancock’s electric piano, with heavy usage of effects units (reverb, echo, and tremolo).
The first track “Ostinato (Suite for Angela)” is a 15/8-meter Afro-electric-funk with electric bass repeating a riff and African percussions.
The second track “You’ll Know When You Get There” is a dreamy piece at a slow tempo featuring Bennie Maupin’s flute.
The closing “Wandering Spirit Song” (over 21 minutes) is an abstract piece strongly influenced by In A Silent Way, including a freaky free jazz part in the middle.
