Mr. Hands (album)

Mr. Hands
Studio album by Herbie Hancock
Released	September 1980
Recorded	1980
Studio	The Automatt, Filmways/Heider, The Village Recorder
Genre	Jazz fusion
Length	39:55
Label	Columbia
Producer	Herbie Hancock, David Rubinson
Herbie Hancock chronology
Monster (1980) Mr. Hands (1980) Herbie Hancock Trio (1981)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[3]

Mr. Hands is the twenty-fourth album by Herbie Hancock. Unlike the preceding album, Monster, which was conceptualized as a dance album, Mr. Hands is a collection of different musical styles with distinct groups. It features bass guitarist Jaco Pastorius on the track "4 A.M.," plus multiple guests including Bennie Maupin, Sheila E. and Ron Carter, plus an all-synthesizer track ("Textures") performed entirely by Hancock. "Shiftless Shuffle" (originally released on the 1979 Japan-only album Directstep) was recorded by the members of the Headhunters quintet in 1973 during the sessions for the album Head Hunters. This album was the first on which Hancock used a computer, this time an Apple II. He would continue his relationship with Apple Computer for many years.

Overlooked when it was originally released, this was Hancock's last outing of "straight" electric jazz for some time, as he began to focus more on his R&B influences.

Track listing

All songs composed by Herbie Hancock.

Personnel

• Herbie Hancock - synthesizer, acoustic piano, electric piano, keyboards, vocals (through vocoder), clavinet, Minimoog, ARP 2600, Apple II, Linn LM-1 drum computer
• Bennie Maupin - tenor saxophone (5)
• Wah Wah Watson - guitar (3)
• Byron Miller (1), Ron Carter (2), Freddie Washington (3), Jaco Pastorius (4), Paul Jackson (5) - bass
• Leon Chancler (1), Tony Williams (2), Alphonse Mouzon (3), Harvey Mason (4,5) - drums
• Bill Summers (1, 4-5), Sheila Escovedo (2-3) - percussion

References