"Maiden Voyage" — Herbie Hancock
You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians
Peter Martin
4.9 • 770 Ratings
🗓️ 11 August 2025
⏱️ 60 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today we're going on an aquatic journey with Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage. Herbie calls the title track the best tune he's ever written. We dive deep into the music to explore what makes this tune, and this album, great.
The roots of Maiden Voyage date back in 1963, when Herbie began hearing rumors that Miles Davis wanted to hear him play. He didn't believe it at first -- Miles was at the height of his celebrity by this point. But soon he got a call. He went over to Miles's house and played with him, George Coleman, Tony Williams and Ron Carter for three days. On the third day, Miles asks the group to come to studio to record Seven Steps to Heaven. Herbie says, "Does that mean I'm in the band?" Miles says, "You're making the record, mother f**cker!"
After two years playing in what many call the one of the greatest jazz ensembles of all time, Herbie would release Maiden Voyage in 1965. Along with George, Tony and Ron, plus saxophonist Freddie Hubbard. Although it is one of his simplest tunes -- with a rhythm inspired by a cologne commercial -- Maiden Voyage would become a favorite and a standard among jazz musicians.
In this episode, you'll hear:
- Adam and Peter pick apart the greatest moments from the album, including some perfect solos
- The story of the commercial roots of this jazz standard
- Where the record got its aquatic theme
- Why a great song starts with a great bassline (just ask Ron Carter)
- How this record could have been even better ... if it weren't for that piano sound
- Where we land on Van Gelder Sound controversy
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Bo-la-Doo-be-doo-d-doo-d-d-bo-d-d-d-bo-d-d-d-bib-d-Bo-d-Bo-d-Bo-d-Bo-d-Snace shells, Rednut Riviera, Flora-Bama. |
| 0:17.0 | What are you playing it, dude? |
| 0:18.0 | Oh, I'm working on my aquatic jazz. |
| 0:21.1 | What is aquatic jazz? |
| 0:22.6 | What? |
| 0:22.9 | It's like stuff that has to do with the sea. |
| 0:24.5 | You know, like this. |
| 0:26.3 | Somewhere. |
| 0:27.0 | Oh, okay. |
| 0:27.9 | Yeah, yeah. |
| 0:29.1 | Beneath the sea. |
| 0:31.9 | Somewhere waiting for me. |
| 0:35.9 | I got you. |
| 0:36.7 | And we'll go sailing. |
| 0:38.3 | I'm not sure that... |
| 0:39.3 | Can we maybe try something hipper that's aquatic? |
| 0:42.3 | Sea shells. |
| 0:44.3 | Yeah, baby. |
| 0:45.3 | Oh, you want something else? |
| 0:46.3 | Yes, please. |
| 0:47.3 | Okay, how about this? |
| 0:48.3 | Yes. |
... |
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