Chameleon
Artists
Herbie HancockAlbum
Head Hunters
Label
Columbia RecordsGenres
JazzRelease Date
October 13, 1973This instrumental was composed by Herbie Hancock in collaboration with saxophonist Bennie Maupin, bass guitarist Paul Jackson and drummer Harvey Mason. All four songwriters played on the original version on Head Hunters, which features solos by Hancock and Maupin. The song is one of the most widely recognized jazz standards, and has become standard repertoire in most small jazz ensembles. The Head Hunters album is a defining moment in the genre of jazz funk, and in 2003, it was ranked at #411 on Rolling Stone’s “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list.