Herbie Hancock's August 14 performance of “Head Hunters” at the Hollywood Bowl marks the first time in 50 years that the jazz keyboardist and composer has reunited with the artists credited with the album's namesake.

Given their success and legacy—the first jazz album ever to go platinum, and one of the genre’s most famous of all time—that claim seems unlikely, even if drummer Harvey Mason recently confirmed as much. (How could they not have played in some combination, at least a few times, over the decades?) But if they’re slightly slower than they were in 1973, the group is still playing just as well half a century later, with an adventurous two-and-a-half hour score (backed by Hancock’s current bandmates) that reiterates the enduring power of the Headhunters’ compositions.

Judging by the lines that snaked deep into the Hollywood Bowl merchandise booth an hour before showtime, attendees knew what a special and unique evening this concert would be. None other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar introduced the band, which led to some light comedy when Hancock had to stand on his toes to retrieve his microphone. Tenor saxophonist Bennie Maupin, percussionist Bill Summers, Mason and Marcus Miller — who replaced the late bassist Paul Jackson — joined the bandleader, and after Summers gave a spiritual blessing of sorts, they wasted no time in playing the album.

As on the original recording, Summers used a beer bottle to imitate the sound of a Zairean doe-whoosh as he led his collaborators into "Watermelon Man," Hancock's languid reimagining of the song he first composed for his 1962 debut album, Takin' Off . The entire "Head Hunters" record clocks in at just 41 minutes, so it wasn't unrealistic to expect the group to stretch these live versions out, but they surprisingly cut more fat than they chewed, delivering a dynamite mid-tempo performance before moving straight into "Sly." Where its predecessor was a touch faster than the original, this performance slowed things down just a bit, as Maupin made a meal of his saxophone solo and Hancock showed off his unique mastery of the keys.