1969 年Hancock 离开Blue Note,与华纳签约,发行专辑Fat Albert Rotunda,是为Bill Cosby 的卡通节目Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids 所写,这张专辑也是他首次踏进jazz-funk 曲风的作品,似乎在为1973 年的经典专辑Head Hunters 作出预言.不过Fat Albert Rotunda 呈现的jazz-funk 曲风与Hancock 日后制作的jazz-funk 音乐相异,是以60 年代后期的R&B 为基底,加上活泼游玩的气氛,即兴的管乐,绝佳的旋律,还有Hancock 弹Fender Rhodes 电钢琴的独奏.音韵重复的歌曲名字Wiggle Waggle, Fat Mama, Oh! Oh! Here He Comes 提示乐迷嬉闹与大摇大摆的音乐风格- 正如愉悦的卡通特质; 相较之下Tell Me a Bedtime Story 拥有老练世故,难以忘怀的抒情旋律,理所当然要成为爵士标准曲,日后Quincy Jones 将这首曲改编成更具电子味道的版本,收录在1978 年发行的专辑Sounds...and Stuff Like That ; 第五首曲Jessica 也有相同放松的心情.by Richard S. GinellCentered around some soundtrack music that Herbie Hancock wrote for Bill Cosby's Fat Albert cartoon show, Fat Albert Rotunda was Hancock's first full-fledged venture into jazz-funk -- and his last until Head Hunters -- making it a prophetic release. At the same time, it was far different in sound from his later funk ventures, concentrating on a romping, late-'60s-vintage R&B-oriented sound. with frequent horn riffs and great rhythmic comping and complex solos from Hancock's Fender Rhodes electric piano. The syllables of the titles alone -- "Wiggle Waggle," "Fat Mama," "Oh! Oh! Here He Comes" -- have a rhythm and feeling that tell you exactly how this music saunters and swaggers along -- just like the jolly cartoon character. But there is more to this record than fatback funk. There is the haunting, harmonically sophisticated "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" (which ought to become a jazz standard), and the similarly relaxed "Jessica." The sextet on hand is a star-studded bunch, with Joe Henderson in funky and free moods on tenor sax, Johnny Coles on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums. Only Williams would remain for Hancock's 1977 electric V.S.O.P.: The Quintet album to come. In addition, trumpeter Joe Newman, saxophonist Joe Farrell, guitarist Eric Gale, and drummer Bernard Purdie make guest appearances on two tracks.