The Headhunters

Formed right after Herbie Hancock dissolved his pioneering electro-acoustic Mwandishi unit, which had cut 1973’s Sextant, the Headhunters stepped forward as a jazz-funk ensemble. The keyboardist, composer, and producer assembled an almost entirely fresh roster for his own 1973 Head Hunters LP; that lineup served as his primary working band through the remainder of the decade. At Hancock’s urging the musicians also operated independently, issuing 1975’s Survival of the Fittest under his production and 1978’s Straight from the Gate with him appearing as a guest. A refreshed configuration delivered the widely praised 1998 album Return of the Headhunters. Further personnel shifts shaped 2003’s Evolution Revolution and 2011’s Platinum. Following an eleven-year recording absence, the group resurfaced with 2022’s Speakers in the House and, in 2024, issued The Stunt Man.

Collectively, the Headhunters marked a decisive shift for Hancock, whose fusion style grew funkier and more deliberately mainstream once the ensemble coalesced. Their self-titled debut, the platinum-certified jazz-funk landmark Head Hunters, arrived in 1973 with saxophonist and clarinetist Bennie Maupin—who had also performed in Mwandishi—alongside bassist Paul Jackson, Jr., drummer Harvey Mason, and percussionist Bill Summers. Blending jazz, funk, and rock, the record drew listeners from R&B and rock audiences alike and outsold Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. Anchored by the infectious “Chameleon,” later covered by jazz vocalist Eddie Jefferson and sampled by numerous rappers during the 1980s and 1990s, plus a funk-infused revisit of Hancock’s 1962 boogaloo “Watermelon Man,” the album launched extensive global touring and a string of Columbia releases that began with 1974’s Thrust.

In 1975 the Headhunters delivered Survival of the Fittest, a hard-edged funk set on which Mike Clark supplanted Mason, though the latter still contributed percussion alongside Zak Diouf and Baba Duru Oshun. Guitarist DeWayne “Blackbird” McKnight joined the proceedings, as did guest flutist Joyce Jackson, while bassist Paul Jackson took his first turn as lead vocalist. Hancock sat out the sessions yet served as producer. The band continued collaborating with him in the studio and on the road for 1974’s Thrust, 1975’s Man-Child, 1976’s Secrets, and 1977’s Sunlight, the last of which preceded the Headhunters’ own self-produced and Hancock-independent sophomore effort, Straight from the Gate. By decade’s end Hancock had officially disbanded the group, although its members still convened occasionally for their own concerts. The 1998 reunion yielded Return of the Headhunters!, featuring Hancock as guest alongside keyboardist Billy Childs and guitarist Joel Kipnis.

A considerably enlarged lineup released Evolution Revolution in 2003 on New Orleans’ independent Basin Street label. Mason returned as second drummer, Maupin was joined by saxophonists Donald Harrison and Aaron Fletcher, trumpeters Nicholas Payton and Aaron Fletcher, guitarist Wah Wah Watson, and additional players. Produced by Jackson, Summers, and Clark, the album balanced dance-floor funk with forward-looking jazz fusion. The unofficial live collection On Top: Live in Europe surfaced in 2008 via Japan’s P-Vine imprint, documenting a configuration without Jackson (replaced by bassist and vocalist T.M. Stevens) or Maupin (replaced by Harrison and Mark Shim). In 2011 the band issued the star-studded jazz, funk, and hip-hop fusion project Platinum on Owl Studios, with Clark, Summers, and Harrison recalling Maupin as guest; the set also spotlighted Azar Lawrence, George Clinton, Patrice Rushen, and rappers Killah Priest and Snoop Dogg.

Apart from sporadic touring, the Headhunters entered an extended hiatus widely viewed as permanent. Percussionist Summers, drummer Clark, and saxophonist Harrison nevertheless revived the project in late 2021, enlisting keyboardist Stephen Gordon and bassist Reggie Washington. Guests included organist Jerry Z, kora player Fode Sissoko, and drum programmer Scott Roberts. Their Ropeadope reunion album Speakers in the House appeared in November 2022.

The Headhunters performed extensively in 2023, including numerous hometown shows in New Orleans. In October 2024 they issued their second Ropeadope release, The Stunt Man. Recorded in San Francisco with five different engineers, the seven-track set featured a core quintet of Harrison, Summers, Clark, bassist Chris Severin, and keyboardist Kyle Roussel. Saxophonist Craig Handy appeared on “ESP,” while “New Levels — New Devils” highlighted a three-voice chorus.