Takin' Off marked Herbie Hancock's first album under his own name. All of the compositions are by the leader, who is backed by such stars as Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, Butch Warren, and Billy Higgins. The album includes one of Hancock's best-known compositions, "Watermelon Man", which made it to the Top 100 on the pop charts. The tune would become a jazz standard, and would be covered by Mongo Santamaria, among others.

THE COMPLETE LP 180-GRAM RED COLORED VINYL INCLUDES PHOTOS BY RENOWNED FRENCH JAZZ PHOTOGRAPHER JEAN-PIERRE LELOIR LIMITED EDITION