Herbie Hancock: The New Standard. Herbie Hancock and Guy Eckstine (prods.), John Pace (eng.). Verve 314 529 584-2. CD.

Herbie Hancock’s music career might be a good lesson in how an artist can lose their way chasing technology. After establishing himself as a significant jazz pianist and band leader during the 1960s, Hancock became caught up in the jazz/rock fusion movement. The phenomenal success of his 1974 jazz/funk release, Headhunters, was probably the worst thing that could happen to him. For nearly two decades, Hancock completely abandoned jazz in a technologically inspired search for the ultimate computer funk music.

With The New Standard, Hancock returns to where he made that ill-fated turn. Supported by the leading jazz luminaries of our day, Hancock reminds us of the standard he set in jazz piano virtuosity back in the 1960s. But The New Standard is about more than just his pianistic prowess – every song is a cover of a popular tune that Hancock believes represent the new "standards." The message is that these songs should be noticed in the same way we would perceive an old Cole Porter or Gershwin tune.

While the aptness of the opening tune, Don Henley’s "New York Minute," as a "standard" may be questionable, the execution certainly is not. The tune is entirely transformed, with rolling snare drums creating a tumbling rhythm over which Hancock blasts right into his best piano solo in nearly thirty years. The force of this opening cut takes no prisoners – from Dave Holland’s powerful bass support, up and through John Scofield’s angular guitar work to Jack DeJohnette’s fascinating cymbal interplay. It doesn’t get much better than this and the eight-minute tune blows hard with strong solos by Scofield and saxist Michael Brecker.

This opening tour-de-force is followed by a Latin-tinged cover of Peter Gabriel’s "Mercy Street." This lyrical theme is perfectly voiced by Brecker on soprano sax and Scofield’s synthesized guitar. Brecker’s twisting sax solo may be the best recorded work he’s ever done. Hancock hit the nail on this one – "Mercy Street" is indeed a contemporary standard.

While the selection of The Beatles’ "Norwegian Wood" may be too obvious, this soft, dreamy version sums up the tune’s sentiments. Again, we hear a superb sax/guitar unison stating the theme. Scofield’s use of synthesized guitar, fast becoming ubiquitous in modern jazz, melds seamlessly with Brecker’s sax.

Another highlight of The New Standard is the cover of Sade’s "Love is Stronger Than Pride." The original already had a breezy jazz feeling and Hancock’s team propel this tune with DeJohnette’s wonderfully funky drumming and nice brass background touches. Then, with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s "Scarborough Fair," Holland sets up a precise walking bass line, followed by an all-out jam, with DeJohnette playing all over the drums. Hancock rips through another superb solo. In fact, there are so many great Hancock solos on The New Standard that you wonder why he has been silent for so many years.

There are some lesser arrangements, though the level of musicianship remains high. Stevie Wonder’s lanky and intimate "You’ve Got It Bad Girl" is reworked into furious pace of dense drumming textures and elaborate ensemble work. Prince’s "Thieves In The Temple" is given a big funk treatment, with DeJohnette pounding the bass drum and Holland somehow transforming his acoustic bass into sounding very electric. These weaker cuts are few and far between and the overall flow of The New Standard is very agreeable.

If only the same could be said for the sound. For comparison, I put on Hancock’s 1968 release Speak Like a Child (Blue Note BST-84279) recorded by none other than the legendary Rudy van Gelder. This all acoustic-set featured fluegelhorn, trombone and alto flute in addition to bass, piano and drums, all nicely spaced around the soundstage with each musician held solidly in space.. By contrast, the multi-miked mix in The New Standard has Hancock’s piano and DeJohnette’s drums spread across the stage. While Dave Holland’s bass is thankfully anchored in the middle, it sounds far too close relative to the other instruments. Brecker is too far back in the mix and Scofield’s synthesized guitar often sounds as if it's coming from another room. This is hifi?

Sound quality aside, The New Standard is Hancock’s most musically significant and enjoyable release in nearly thirty years. His return to acoustic jazz shows us that a person can return to the fork in the road and take the other path.