Takin' off is an album of Herbie Hancock, recorded the May 28th 1962, for the label Blue Note. It is its first album as a leader. All the compositions are of the pianist, accompanied for the occasion by Dexter Gordon with the saxophone tenor, of the young person Freddie Hubbard with the trumpet, of the beater Billy Higgins and the bass player Butch Warren. The " tube" of hardware-bop Watermelon man opens the album, then follow Three Bags Full , Maze , Driftin and Alone and I .