{^My Point of View} and {^Inventions and Dimensions} found {$Herbie Hancock} exploring the fringes of {\hard bop}, working with a {\big band} and a {\Latin}-flavored percussion section, respectively. On {^Empyrean Isles}, he returns to {\hard bop}, but the results are anything but conventional. Working with cornetist {$Freddie Hubbard}, bassist {$Ron Carter}, and drummer {$Tony Williams} -- a trio just as young and adventurous as he was -- {$Hancock} pushes at the borders of {\hard bop}, finding a brilliantly evocative balance between {\traditional bop}, {\soul}-injected grooves, and experimental, {\post-modal jazz}. {$Hancock}'s four original concepts are loosely based on the myths of the Empyrean Isles, and they are designed to push the limits of the band and of {\hard bop}. Even {&"Cantaloupe Island,"} well-known for its funky piano riff, takes chances and doesn't just ride the groove. {&"The Egg,"} with its minimal melody and extended solo improvisations, is the riskiest number on the record, but it works because each musician spins inventive, challenging solos that defy convention. In comparison, {&"One Finger Snap"} and {&"Oliloqui Valley"} (alternate takes of both tracks are included as bonuses on the CD reissue) adhere to {\hard bop} conventions, but each song finds the quartet vigorously searching for new sonic territory with convincing fire. That passion informs all of {^Empyrean Isles}, a record that officially established {$Hancock} as a major artist in his own right. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide