"Little One" is a waltz-tempo composition from Herbie Hancock's 1965 album Maiden Voyage, its lyrical 24-bar form in the key of F providing a tender, intimate setting that contrasts with the album's more expansive modal explorations. The track features four soloists who each bring a distinctive voice to Hancock's gentle composition. George Coleman opens with two choruses of tenor saxophone that showcase his melodic warmth and harmonic fluency, his playing perfectly capturing the piece's gentle, lullaby-like quality. Freddie Hubbard follows with two choruses of trumpet characterized by unusual restraint, his typically powerful sound softened to match the composition's delicate mood. Hancock contributes three choruses of piano improvisation that reveal the deep well of lyricism beneath his more well-known harmonic innovations, his solo flowing with an unhurried grace that mirrors the waltz rhythm's gentle rocking motion. Ron Carter closes with two choruses of acoustic bass that demonstrate his extraordinary melodic conception, his solo singing with a vocal quality that transcends the instrument's usual supporting role. Tony Williams's brushwork throughout provides exquisitely sensitive accompaniment. The composition's simple title belies its musical sophistication, as Hancock's harmonic language, while more accessible than on some of the album's other tracks, is still rich with the unexpected chord movements and subtle modulations that define his writing.
