VSOP (album)

V.S.O.P.
Live album by Herbie Hancock
Released	1976
Recorded	1976
Genre	Jazz
Length	86:35
Label	Columbia
Producer	David Rubinson
Herbie Hancock chronology
Secrets (1976) V.S.O.P (1976) V.S.O.P.: The Quintet (1977)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

V.S.O.P. is a 1976 jazz-funk fusion live album by keyboard player Herbie Hancock featuring performances by the V.S.O.P. Quintet (Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter & Tony Williams), the Mwandishi band with Eddie Henderson on two tracks, and The Headhunters featuring Bennie Maupin and Paul Jackson.

Although this album was half-fusion, half-acoustic, it started a movement among young jazz artists such as Wynton Marsalis to return to acoustic bop. In fact, Hancock continued to include electronics in his own work, including in the album Future Shock (Herbie Hancock album).

Track listing

1. "Piano Introduction" - 4:33
2. "Maiden Voyage" (Hancock) - 13:18
3. "Nefertiti" (Shorter) - 5:17
4. "Introduction of Players/Eye of the Hurricane" (Hancock) - 18:35
5. "Toys" (Hancock) - 14:00
6. "Introductions" - 1:47
7. "You'll Know When You Get There" (Hancock) - 7:00
8. "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" (Hancock, Jackson, Ragin) - 11:54
9. "Spider" (Hancock, Jackson, Ragin) -10:12

Recorded Live At:

Newport Jazz Festival - New York City Center - New York, New York - Tuesday, June 29, 1976

Tracks 1-4 performed by V.S.O.P., Tracks 5-7 performed by Mwandishi, Tracks 8-9 performed by the Headhunters

Personnel

Musicians

• Ron Carter – bass
• Herbie Hancock – electric piano
• Billy Hart – drums
• Eddie Henderson – flugelhorn, sound effects, trumpet
• Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
• Paul Jackson – electric bass
• James Levi – drums
• Bennie Maupin – alto flute
• Kenneth Nash – percussion
• Ray Parker, Jr. – guitar
• Julian Priester – bass trombone
• Wayne Shorter – soprano sax, tenor sax
• Wah Wah Watson – guitar, synthesizer
• Buster Williams – bass
• Tony Williams – drums

Production

• Fred Catero – engineer
• Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin – composer
• David Rubinson – engineer, producer