Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea - Frankfurt, Germany 1978

A modal jazz piece, the The chord voicings used by Hancock make extensive use of perfect fourths. ’s Ted Gioia describes the harmonic progression used as, “four suspended chords,“ Jerry Coker describes the progression as “only sus. 4 chords,“ while The Real Book lists the chords as four minor seventh chords with the bass note a fifth below the root which matches Hancock’s description of the opening chord (right). The Real Book also spells the fourth chord as A♭-7/D♭, while Owens spells it C♯mi13. The pitches of C♯mi9 (ninth chord) are C♯ E G♯ B D♯ and the pitches of A♭-7/D♭ enharmonically, and C♯mi13 (thirteenth chord), are C♯ G♯ B D♯ F♯ (A♯). Ami7/D | | | | Cmi7/F | | | Ami7/D | | | | Cmi7/F | | | Bbmi7/Eb | | | | C#mi9 | | | Ami7/D | | | | Cmi7/F | | | In the liner notes for the Maiden Voyage album, Hancock states that the composition was an attempt to capture “the splendor of a sea-going vessel on its maiden voyage“.