Cantaloupe Island - STEVEN R. TABOR

Cantaloupe Island

"Cantaloupe Island" is a jazz standard composed by Herbie Hancock and recorded for his 1964 album Empyrean Isles during his years as one of the members of Miles Davis' 1960s quintet. Hancock later recorded and released a jazz-funk fusion version of the track, as Cantaloupe Island, on his 1976 album Secrets.The musicians for the original 1964 recording were: Hancock (piano), Freddie Hubbard (cornet), Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums).

“Cantaloupe Island” quickly became a firm favorite of other jazz musicians. It has been covered and interpreted by numerous artists, and Hancock himself has revisited and re-interpreted the song several times over the last fifty years.

Jazz is serious stuff, but "Cantaloupe Island" is just plain fun. The first time I heard the song, it brought to mind a tropical island with dancers swaying to the beat under the bright mid-day sun. In this series, a model, Nadia, dances to the simple but seductive rhythms of "Cantaloupe Island".

If you'd like to see the full series, download the PDF catalog here.