Herbie Hancock - Sunlight [Holland Import]

Herbie Hancock found his singing voice on Sunlight, even if it came out through a vocoder. This 1978 album arrives here as a Holland import.

Coming off his run of jazz-funk landmarks, Hancock pushed even further toward the dance floor, routing his vocals through a Sennheiser vocoder to give them a robotic, shimmering sheen. He produced the album with longtime partner David Rubinson, layering synthesizers, brass, woodwinds and strings around a stellar cast that includes guitarists Ray Parker Jr. and Wah Wah Watson and saxophonist Bennie Maupin.

Side one opens with "I Thought It Was You", nearly nine minutes of glossy disco-funk that gives the vocoder hooks plenty of room to breathe, followed by the slower, string-laced "Come Running to Me", with lyrics by Allee Willis. The title track adds a soaring soprano saxophone solo from Maupin, while "Good Question" closes the record with Jaco Pastorius and Tony Williams joining Hancock for some thrilling fusion fireworks.

Purists grumbled at the time, but Sunlight sounds remarkably ahead of its curve today, a bridge between jazz, funk and the electronic pop that followed in its wake. It is a fascinating snapshot of a restless innovator who never wanted to stand still, and five long tracks that reward a full, uninterrupted listen.