Speak Like a Child

Released in 1968 on Blue Note Records, Speak Like a Child represents a pivotal moment in Herbie Hancock's discography. Recorded while he was still a member of the Miles Davis Quintet, the album sees Hancock moving away from the 'hard bop' roots of his earlier work toward a more impressionistic, 'cool' aesthetic. The most distinctive feature of the album is its instrumentation: Hancock utilized a three-piece horn section consisting of flugelhorn (Thad Jones), bass trombone (Peter Phillips), and alto flute (Jerry Dodgion). Crucially, these musicians were used strictly as an ensemble to provide harmonic backing and texture rather than as soloists. This 'choir' effect gives the album a pastoral, almost classical feel. The tracks include reworkings of themes Hancock had explored elsewhere, such as 'Riot' and 'The Sorcerer,' but here they are stripped of their tension and reimagined with a focus on melody and atmosphere. The album is often cited as a precursor to the more experimental textures Hancock would explore in his Mwandishi period.