This alternate take of "One Finger Snap" from Herbie Hancock's Empyrean Isles sessions offers a fascinating glimpse into the quartet's creative process, revealing how the same composition could yield substantially different improvisational results. The solo order is reversed from the issued version, with Hancock himself leading off with nine bold piano choruses over the 20-bar form before Freddie Hubbard enters with seven fiery trumpet choruses. Hancock then returns for four additional piano choruses, and Tony Williams closes with three explosive drum choruses. At a slightly slower tempo than the issued take, the alternate version allows for more expansive melodic development, and both Hancock and Hubbard take different harmonic paths through the tune's structure. The extended piano opening gives this version a different character from the trumpet-led issued take, emphasizing Hancock's role as both composer and primary improviser. Ron Carter's bass work is equally compelling in both versions, his walking lines providing a steady harmonic roadmap beneath the soloists' explorations. Alternate takes from classic jazz sessions are valuable documents of the improvisational process, and this one demonstrates the quartet's ability to create equally compelling but distinctly different performances from the same compositional framework.
