Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters – Watermelon Man and Chameleon (Live on The Midnight Special, 1975)

 

From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack.

On February 21, 1975, Herbie Hancock and The Headhunters brought pure funk energy to The Midnight Special with a blistering performance of their hit “Chameleon," and Herbie's "Watermelon Man." Herbie commands the keyboards, Paul Jackson lays down the deep, elastic bass lines, Mike Clark drives the groove on drums, Blackbyrd McKnight brings the funk on guitar, Bill Summers adds his percussive magic, and Bennie Maupin delivers soulful, razor-sharp reeds. A timeless fusion of jazz, funk, and soul—this is The Headhunters at the height of their powers. 🎹 Herbie Hancock – Keyboards 🎸 Paul Jackson – Bass 🥁 Mike Clark – Drums 🎸 Blackbyrd McKnight – Guitar 🪘 Bill Summers – Percussion 🎷 Bennie Maupin – Reeds 📀 From the landmark album Head Hunters (1973), “Chameleon” remains a defining track of jazz-funk history.