Speak Like a Child is the title tune of Herbie Hancock’s 1968 Blue Note album Speak Like a Child. The piece, roughly seven and a half minutes long, showcases Hancock’s move toward a childlike yet serious mood—melodies are singable and the harmonies favor color and texture over fixed chords. The unusual front line features Jerry Dodgion on alto flute, Peter Phillips on bass trombone, and Thad Jones on flugelhorn, with Ron Carter on bass and Mickey Roker on drums, and none of the wind players take solos on the tracks. Hancock framed the music as a hopeful look to the future rather than a reflection of late 1960s turmoil, a concept reinforced by the album’s cover photograph by David Bythewood. The tune sits in the hard bop/jazz realm with touches of rock influence, illustrating Hancock’s interest in writing for larger ensembles and exploring new sonic textures.
