Empyrean Isles  by Herbie Hancock

Empyrean Isles is the fourth album by American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, released in November 1964 by Blue Note Records. Empyrean Isles is considered pivotal for the transition from hard bop to modal jazz and avant-garde.

The album was recorded on June 17, 1964, at the historic Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with Rudy Van Gelder as the sound engineer. It includes four original compositions by Hancock. Among these four compositions, Cantaloupe Island stands out, one of the most famous jazz standards, combining modal jazz with funky grooves. Cantaloupe Island critically influenced the acid jazz scene, with the group Us3 using it as the basis for their global hit Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) in 1993 (!) The iconic cover was designed by Reid Miles, while the photograph belongs to Francis Wolff. It depicts an enigmatic, almost otherworldly image that hints at the mythical title of the album ("Empyrean Isles").

This particular album is considered a "supergroup" work, as its members formed the core of Miles Davis's second great quintet. Although it did not achieve immediate commercial success on the general charts of the time, "Cantaloupe Island" became a huge success in jazz circles.