HERBIE HANCOCK ‘Hear O Israel’

Super rare and previously unreleased spiritual album which is now available to all via the super diggers at Trunk records.

The story…..

“Funny one this. And it all came about by accident. Well sort of. I`d been lent this album about five years ago by John Cooper, the legendary underground music dealer. Last year I was discussing the album with him again, and we were both under the impression that this privately pressed album, called Hear O Israel, was no longer owned by anyone. So I put my detective hat and mac on and set about trying to find the owners. And eventually I did, and they are a large organisation called the URJ based in NYC. I went to see them in fact, and suggested that it would be a smashing idea to get this lost and very unique recording back into circulation. They asked me “why?” and I told them that it was one of the most beautiful recordings I have ever heard and needed to be heard again, because bugger all people heard it the first time round. And they said yes. Enthusiastically yes. So, I am thrilled, and shortly will be presenting Hear O Israel to the world again, and it is one of the most beautiful recordings I have ever heard. I can think of nothing quite like it.

Little is really known about it, so here is what we do know. The album was originally commissioned by Rabbi David Davis, recorded and then pressed in 1968, and includes the following musicians:

Herbie Hancock – piano
Jerome Richardson – flute, tenor and alto sax
Grady Tate  drums
Thad Jones  trumpet and flugelhorn
Ron Carter  bass
Jonathan Klein  composer, French horn and baritone
Rabbi David Davis  reader
Antonia Lavannne  soprano
Phyllis Bryn-Julson – contralto

The recording is a concert in jazz and prayer, and is one of the most sublime, spiritual recordings I have ever had the joy of listening too. Adding to the jazz is the occasional traditional Jewish prayer, sung by a female soprano and contralto, or narrated briefly by the Rabbi.

This most unusual, dare I say, unique recording has never been issued properly. We believe the recording was only available through the URJ, and was never commercially released. It is now licensed to Trunk Records exclusively worldwide.”

From what I’ve heard so far, this is beautiful stuff!!!!

Buy here.