The Headhunters kicked off their fall tour in Washington, DC at The Hamilton Live on Wednesday, September 11, with a few classics from seminal Herbie Hancock albums, as well as new originals off their latest album, The Stunt Man.
They last played The Hamilton for a monthly residency from January through September 2019, and are now back on tour for a few more dates in the US, followed by a two-week European tour.
Spear-headed by the fiery chops of drummer, Mike Clark, founding percussionist Bill Summers added his remarkable rhythmic skills, with Big Chief Donald Harrison on alto sax, Kyle Roussel on keyboards from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Chris Severin on 6-string bass from the Neville Brothers. The Headhunters band was created in 1973 to thrust Hancock’s explosion into jazz fusion. They continue to carve new paths in musical exploration. Bill Summers reminded fans, “We’re not musicians, we are physicians; we heal people.” Donald Harrison showcased his sax brilliance on “Butterfly”, and throughout the night.
A charming moment occurred when Bill Summers demonstrated how he uses a beer bottle as a sort of flute on “Watermelon Man,” which originally recorded back on Hancock’s debut 1962 album, Takin’ Off. The song was re-arranged on Head Hunters in 1973, with the beer bottle iconically reimagined as a percussion instrument.
Summers announced at the start of “Chameleon” that it was their 50th anniversary (since The Headhunters re-recorded it in 1973), then quipped, “we only had one rehearsal, but it’s going to be alright.” After Chameleon, Summers introduced their two guest musicians, Morgan State University students Shawn McNeil and Brian Moten on sax and trumpet, respectively.
One of the most accomplished drummers of all times, New York resident Mike Clark has played on at least 50 to 60 albums, and thousands of live shows across the world for over 6 decades. He’s played or toured with Albert King, Wayne Shorter, John Scofield, Gil Evans, and dozens of other musical legends and pioneers. Few drummers are as influential or experienced, or as musical. Bill Summers is also a living legend, having played with Hancock, and other musical pioneers, such as Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, George Benson, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and Sting, on roughly a hundred albums, and TV soundtracks.
The Headhunters roll up the coast to play an outdoor show at Times Square on Sep 12, and will be playing the Nola X North Fork Festival in Cutchogue, NY on Sep. 13. After a few more tour dates in Seattle, Portland, and Eugene, they will return back east for Hampton Roads, Virginia, on Sep. 28, followed by a European tour, kicking off in Norway on Oct 8 and ending in Warsaw, Poland on Oct. 19th.
Headhunters – 2024 Fall Tour Dates
Sep 13 – Nola X North Fork Festival – Cutchogue, NY
Sep 17 & 18 – Jazz Alley – Seattle, WA
Sep 19 – The Get Down Music Festival – Portland, OR
Sep 21 – The Jazz Station – Eugene, OR
Sep 28 – The Phoebus Jazz Festival – Hampton Roads, VA
Oct 8 – Cosmopolite Scene – Oslo, Norway
Oct 9 – On the Rocks – Helsinki, Finland
Oct 10 – Loppen – Kobenhavn K, Denmark
Oct 12 – Stockholm Jazz Festival – Stockholm, Sweden
Oct 14 – Gretchen – Berlin, Germany
Oct 15 – Blue Note – Milano, Italy
Oct 16, 17 – Muxiekclub N9 – Eeklo, Belgium
Oct 18 – New Morning – Paris, France
Oct 19 – Jassmine – Warszawa, Poland
The post In Focus: The Headhunters at The Hamilton Live appeared first on NYS Music.
