Summer 2005 Herbie Hancock did a series of gigs with yet another version of his funk band Headhunters. This time there was no one from the original group from the early seventies, but the keyboardist had gathered an all-star band around him. The most notable band member was guitarist Wah Wah Watson, who provided many Hancock albums with his characteristic funky guitar riffs. Other illustrious
… musicians in the 2005 version of the Headhunters were bassist Marcus Miller, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. Together with percussionist Munyungo Jackson and the young guitarist Lionel Loueke, this group brought a very funky set of old songs like Actual Proof and Butterfly. This DVD, with an impression of a performance in Tokyo, is published by the Jazz Door label. That almost certainly means that it is an unofficial release. The Japanese texts on the screen indicate that the recordings have been picked from a TV broadcast. The sound and image quality are therefore not great. Fortunately the music makes up for a lot. (HB)more
