Oliloqui Valley is an instrumental composition by Herbie Hancock, written in the modal jazz idiom and without lyrics. Hancock recorded it in 1964 for Blue Note Records, where it appears as the second track on side A of the album Empyrean Isles. With no words to carry the performance, the tune rests on its melody and modal harmony, and the original recording remains the reference point for players approaching it.
Later recordings include versions by McBride Payton Whitfield (1997), Andy Nevala (2000), the John Mattern Quartet (2005) and Hailey Niswanger (2009). The recordings span from 1997 to 2009, more than three decades after the original. Together they show that the tune has been taken up by players well beyond its first release.
