Watermelon Man - By Herbie Hancock
TITLE: Watermelon Man
ARTIST: Herbie Hancock
GENRE: Funky Jazz
MOOD: Head-bobbing Realness
SIMILAR TO: Chick Corea, Cannonball Adderley, Weather Report
Okay: I don’t know Herbie Hancock personally, but I am convinced that he’s one of the funniest people on the planet right now. Please listen to the intro of this song. It cracks me up every damn time I listen to it. Imagine going into the studio and recording that. Hancock is wildly funny, and the fact that his silliness breaks down into a super funky popping drum-and-bass jam overlain by staccato guitar and, of course, Hancock’s signature piano licks, leaves Herbie’s listeners laughing and vibing at the same time. Hancock’s playful experimentation at the crux of the synthesizer age easily leads “Watermelon Man” to the heart of any appreciator of funk and consonant-heavy jazz.