Reed player Benny Maupin has made a lot of music since he played on Herbie Hancock''s "Thrust" album nearly 40 years ago, but I excavated that CD and cued up the song and realized how much I love his work on this tune.
His great solo on "Butterfly" is with the nasal-toned saxello, but you can also hear him overdubbed on bass clarinet in various spots. He takes the first solo, building gently, and turns from sweet to saucy on a single note at 3:10. This is one of my favorite moments of all my listening memory.
Here's a live version of "Butterfly" from 1974, with actual video — but Maupin's solo is not as dynamic as on "Thrust" (above).
Maupin has another fine solo on the last tune of the album, "Spank-A-Lee," where he delivers a measure of skronchy freakout at the end.
Because this is Jazz Appreciation Month, I want to appreciate the full span of Maupin's work. It's interesting to hear how he sounds now (below) — classic, with a bit of a rowdy edge. Like many people who have survived the '70s, Maupin clearly has worked through the wretched excess of that decade. However, his contributions to "Thrust" are glorious, not wretched. Hancock's Headhunters group and Weather Report are the two fusion groups whose music stands up over time.
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