The Prisoner - Herbie Hancock (1LP Vinyl) [Tone Poet Series]

The Prisoner by Herbie Hancock.

There are records that arrive as statements, and Herbie Hancock's "The Prisoner" is one of them. Originally released in 1969 on Blue Note Records, this is the sound of a pianist and composer reaching past the boundaries of the small group, thinking in wider strokes about mood, meaning, and the shape of a full album side. It stands as a document of Hancock's ambition at the close of a remarkable decade, presented here as a Blue Note release with 2020 reissue credits under UMG Recordings, Inc.

The music was captured at the studio of the legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder across several sessions in the spring of 1969. The title track, "The Prisoner," along with "He Who Lives In Fear," was recorded on April 18, 1969. The opening statement, "I Have A Dream," followed on April 21, 1969, while "Firewater" and "Promise Of The Sun" were laid down on April 23, 1969. Spread across just under a week, these dates trace the arc of a record that feels both deliberate and alive.

From the first side, the album makes its intentions plain. "I Have A Dream" opens the program with a sense of gravity and aspiration, giving way to the brooding, expansive title piece that lends the record its name. There is a weight to this music, a reflective quality that rewards close and repeated listening rather than casual play.

Flip to the second side and the palette widens further. "Firewater" carries a restless energy, followed by the tense, searching "He Who Lives In Fear," before "Promise Of The Sun" closes the set on a note of warmth and resolution. It is a sequence built to be experienced as a whole, each track feeding into the atmosphere of the next.

Among the players is tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, whose presence here is noted as appearing by courtesy of Milestone Records. His voice adds another layer of texture to Hancock's compositional canvas, a reminder of the caliber of musicianship that Blue Note gathered around its dates in this era.

Collectors will want to note a small quirk in the pressing. The runout grooves and rear cover list the catalogue number as B0031460-01, while the spine reads B0031300-01, a discrepancy that gives this issue its own particular fingerprint. Blue Note is a registered trademark of Capitol Records, LLC. For anyone drawn to the more searching, orchestral side of Herbie Hancock's Blue Note years, "The Prisoner" is an essential chapter, and a rewarding addition to any jazz shelf.

Pressing Details:
A Blue Note Records release; originally released in 1969 by Blue Note Records © 2020 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Blue Note is® a registered trademark of Capitol Records, LLC.

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder, April 18, 1969 (tracks A2, B2) on April 21, 1969 (track A1) and on April 23, 1969 (tracks B1, B3).
Joe Henderson performs by courtesy of Milestone Records.

Runout grooves and rear cover list catalogue number as B0031460-01. However, the catalogue number on the spine reads B0031300-01.

Track Listing:
A1. I Have A Dream
A2. The Prisoner
B1. Firewater
B2. He Who Lives In Fear
B3. Promise Of The Sun

Artist: Herbie Hancock

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Blue Note

Catalog Number: B0031460-01

Series: Tone Poet Series

Release Year: 2020

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)