Herbie Hancock is 74 years ago today. A pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer, Hancock was part of Miles Daviss Second Great Quintet. He helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the post-bop sound. Hancock was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace music synthesizers and funk music (characterized by syncopated drum beats). His music is often melodic and accessible; he has had many songs cross over and achieved success among pop audiences. His music embraces elements of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz. In his jazz improvisation, he possesses a unique creative blend of jazz, blues, and modern classical music, with harmonic stylings much like the styles of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Hancocks best-known solo works include Cantaloupe Island, Watermelon Man (later performed by dozens of musicians, including bandleader Mongo Santamaría), Maiden Voyage, Chameleon, and the singles I Thought It Was You and Rockit. His 2007 tribute album River: The Joni Letters won the 2008 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, only the second jazz album ever to win the award after Getz/Gilberto in 1965. Here, Hancock performs “Chameleon” in 1974.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 06:55:12 +0000
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