As the 1960s ended, Herbie Hancock embarked on a grand creative experiment. Having just left the celebrated Miles Davis Quintet, he set out on the road, playing with his first touring group as a leader until he eventually formed what would become a revolutionary band. This book offers a comprehensive study of this seminal group.

Bob Gluck s"You'll Know When You Get There"is an in-depth exploration into the creative work of pianist Herbie Hancock from 1969-1973. These were the pivotal years of the Herbie Hancock Sextet, Hancock s first touring band, which in 1971 became informally known as the "Mwandishi" band. This book offers a window into the evolution of the musical elements that coalesced during Hancock's career as a young sideman during the 1960s and pointed towards Hancock's mature approach with the Mwandishi band. In particular, Gluck explores how this forward-looking young musician developed the stylistic, aesthetic, and cultural ingredients that together represented the underlying musical values of his new endeavor, with special attention given to Hancock s technological experimentation. Relying on extensive interview material and original musical description and analysis by the author, "You'll Know When You Get There"traces the development of this highly unusual and rarely predictable band, contextualizes the band and its music within contemporaneous musical, cultural, and political events and trends, and considers how and why it came to an end. "