A great little soul album from
Herbie Hancock – but one that's often lost in the valleys between his bigger hits of the time! The record was cut in the space right before
Herbie's big "Rockit" success – and it's a sweet bit of funky fusion that has a good dose of R&B in the mix – similar to other records from
Hancock's Columbia label keyboardist contemporaries – like Rodney Franklin, Webster Lewis, or Charles Earland! All orchestrations are performed by
Herbie on a host of keyboards and synthesizers, and just about every cut has vocals – from singers who include Sylvester, Gavin Christopher, and The Waters. But even with this soul component,
Herbie still keeps things jazzy – using a good bit of keyboards to open up the tunes in the middle, and hitting hard on all numbers with that classic
Hancock approach to funk! Titles include "Magic Number", "Tonight's The Night", "Everybody's Broke", "Help Yourself", and "Satisfied With Love". CD also features the bonus "Magic Number (disco mix)".