12"

genre: FUNK - AFRO BEAT

label: COLUMBIA   Cat.No: MK65001

Major Keys is a brand new audiophile label specializing in licensed reissues of jazz classics, pressed onto 12" vinyl for a fuller, more powerful version than the original album. What better way to kick off the series than by featuring Herbie Hancock's inimitable "Chameleon" and "Watermelon Man", powerful and proud on both sides of a 12" vinyl, remastered and recorded by the original sound engineer of the 1973 "Head Hunters" LP.
There is nothing more iconic than "Chameleon". Embedded in the incredible 1973 album "Head Hunters", it is a 16-minute exploration of legendary jazz funk, with all the sensibility and solos of a jazz record, but with rhythms anchored in funk, soul and R&B. Even, as the title suggests, it transforms from a slow-paced jam into a full-fledged, fast-paced spiritual gem. You'll find one of the most iconic basslines around, courtesy of Paul Jackson, along with some of the sweetest synths and Rhodes you're likely to hear from Herbie, all tied together by Harvey Mason's legendary drumming. Sampled worldwide by the greatest and the best, this is a truly timeless and highly influential song.
On the B-side, the equally intriguing "Watermelon Man". This version, also taken from the Head Hunters LP, differs from the original '62 Blue Note bop, with Hancock developing it into a jazz fusion expedition. Bill Summers closes the track with a beer bottle blowing style that mimics a type of whistle typical of Central African Pygmy music, giving a unique flavor to Hancock's jazz funk style, centered on the rhythmic interaction between each instrument. From Dilla to Digable Planets, from Madonna to Massive Attack, it's a classic that is sampled over and over again for a good reason. [info from the label]