Watermelon Man

E128126

"Watermelon Man" is a jazz standard composed by Herbie Hancock that became one of his most famous and frequently covered tunes, blending soulful grooves with catchy, accessible melodies.

All labels observed (4)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf composition ⓘ
jazz standard ⓘ
appearsOn Head Hunters (as reworked funk version) ⓘ
Takin' Off (Herbie Hancock album) ⓘ
associatedArtist Herbie Hancock ⓘ
associatedEra 1960s jazz ⓘ
associatedInstrument piano ⓘ
composer Herbie Hancock ⓘ
countryOfOrigin United States ⓘ
culturalImpact became a crossover hit in Latin jazz via Mongo Santamaría's version ⓘ
helped establish Herbie Hancock's reputation as a composer ⓘ
firstRecordedBy Herbie Hancock ⓘ
firstReleaseAlbum Takin' Off ⓘ
firstReleaseYear 1962 ⓘ
genre hard bop ⓘ
jazz ⓘ
soul jazz ⓘ
hasMainRiff piano and horn riff based on blues scale ⓘ
hasRhythmicInfluence Latin jazz (in Mongo Santamaría arrangement) ⓘ
hasVersion Watermelon Man (1962 Herbie Hancock version) ⓘ
linked to: Watermelon Man

Watermelon Man (1973 Herbie Hancock funk version) ⓘ
linked to: Watermelon Man

Watermelon Man (Mongo Santamaría version) ⓘ
linked to: Watermelon Man
influencedBy rhythms of street watermelon vendors in Chicago ⓘ
isFrequently covered by jazz musicians ⓘ
performed in jazz education settings ⓘ
isOneOf Herbie Hancock's most famous compositions ⓘ
isTaughtAs standard repertoire in jazz improvisation courses ⓘ
key F major (original 1962 version) ⓘ
language instrumental ⓘ
notableCoverArtist Buddy Guy ⓘ
Manhattan Transfer ⓘ
Mongo Santamaría ⓘ
Poncho Sanchez ⓘ
Quincy Jones ⓘ
publisher Blue Note Music ⓘ
linked to: Blue Note Records
recordLabel Blue Note Records ⓘ
reworkedBy Herbie Hancock ⓘ
reworkedVersionStyle funk and jazz-fusion (1973 version) ⓘ
structure 32-bar form ⓘ
styleCharacteristic blues-influenced harmony ⓘ
catchy, riff-based melody ⓘ
strong backbeat groove ⓘ
tempo medium tempo ⓘ
typicalEnsemble small jazz combo ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (16)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Herbie Hancock → notableWork → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Head Hunters → hasPart → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Head Hunters → notableTrack → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Herbie Hancock → notableWork → Watermelon Man ⓘ
subject linked to: Herbert Jeffrey Hancock
Watermelon Man → hasVersion → Watermelon Man (1962 Herbie Hancock version) ⓘ
linked to: Watermelon Man
Watermelon Man → hasVersion → Watermelon Man (1973 Herbie Hancock funk version) ⓘ
linked to: Watermelon Man
Watermelon Man → hasVersion → Watermelon Man (Mongo Santamaría version) ⓘ
linked to: Watermelon Man
Live Wire/Blues Power → hasTrack → Watermelon Man ⓘ
The Headhunters → notableSong → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Columbia KC 32731 → hasTrack → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Columbia KC 32731 → sideAContains → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Mongo Santamaría → notableWork → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Takin' Off → hasTrack → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Takin' Off → hasSingle → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Takin' Off → hasTrack → Watermelon Man ⓘ
Takin' Off → composerOfTrack → Watermelon Man ⓘ