Maiden Voyage (song)



"Maiden Voyage" is a jazz composition by Herbie Hancock from his 1965 album Maiden Voyage. It features Hancock's quartet – trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams – with additional saxophonist George Coleman. It is one of Hancock's best-known compositions and has become a jazz standard.

The piece was used in a Fabergé commercial and was originally listed on the album's master tape as "TV Jingle" until Hancock's sister came up with the new name. In the liner notes for the Maiden Voyage album, Hancock states that the composition was an attempt to capture "the splendor of a sea-going vessel on its maiden voyage".

Structure


A modal jazz piece, the composition follows a 32-bar AABA form with only two chords in each section :

A7/D  |   |   |   |   C7/F    |   |   | A7/D  |   |   |   |   C7/F    |   |   | Bb7/Eb |  |   |   |   C#9     |   |   | A7/D  |   |   |   |   C7/F    |   |   |

The chord voicings used by Hancock make extensive use of perfect fourths. Jazz.com's Ted Gioia describes the harmonic progression used as, "four suspended chords," Jerry Coker describes the progression as "only sus. 4 chords," while The Real Book lists the chords as four minor seventh chords with the bass note a fifth below the root which matches Hancock's description of the opening chord (right). The Real Book also spells the fourth chord (mm.22-24) as A♭-7/D♭, while Owens spells it C♯13. The pitches of C♯mi9 (ninth chord) are C♯ E G♯ B D♯ and the pitches of A♭-7/D♭ enharmonically, and C♯mi13 (thirteenth chord), are C♯ G♯ B D♯ F♯ (A♯).

Covers

 * American rock band Toto covered the piece on their 2002 Through the Looking Glass album
 * American jam band Phish has been known to cover the piece in their live shows, and a recording of it appears on their live album, Colorado '88