Originally released in 1962, Takin’ Off introduced Herbie Hancock as a bandleader with a debut that feels both sharp and easy to sink into. There’s a clear thread back to Horace Silver’s hard bop, but Hancock already sounds like his own player here: lighter on his feet, more probing in the harmony, and full of ideas that reach beyond the session.

The best-known moment is Watermelon Man, a tune that quickly took on a life of its own and became a jazz standard after Mongo Santamaria’s hit cover. Elsewhere, Alone and I brings a more introspective mood, The Maze leans into a minor-key tension, and Empty Pockets delivers the blues.

With a lineup featuring Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Butch Warren, and Billy Higgins, Takin’ Off is a brilliant first statement from Herbie Hancock and the starting point for everything that followed in his remarkable run through jazz.