Herbie Hancock will always be one of the most revered and controversial figures in jazz -- just as his employer/mentor Miles Davis was when he was alive. Unlike Miles, who pressed ahead relentlessly and never looked back until near the very end, Hancock has cut a zigzagging forward path, shuttling between almost every development in electronic and acoustic jazz and R&B over the last third of the 20th century. Though grounded in Bill Evans and able to absorb blues, funk, gospel, and even modern classical influences, Hancock's piano and keyboard voices are entirely his own, with their own urbane harmonic and complex, earthy rhythmic signatures -- and young pianists cop his licks constantly. Having studied engineering and professing to love gadgets and buttons, Hancock was perfectly suited for the electronic age; he was one of the earliest champions of the Rhodes electric piano and Hohner clavinet and would field an ever-growing collection of synthesizers and computers on his electric dates. Yet his love for the grand piano never waned, and despite his peripatetic activities all around the musical map, his piano style continues to evolve into tougher, ever-more-complex forms. He is as much at home trading riffs with a smoking funk band as he is communing with a world-class post-bop rhythm section -- and that drives purists on both sides of the fence up the wall. Having taken up the piano at age seven, Hancock quickly became known as a prodigy, soloing in the first movement of a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony at the age of 11. After studies at Grinnell College, Hancock was invited by Donald Byrd in 1961 to join his group in New York City, and before long, Blue Note offered him a solo contract. His debut album, Takin' Off, took off indeed after Mongo Santamaria covered one of the album's songs, "Watermelon Man." In May 1963, Miles Davis asked him to join his band in time for the Seven Steps to Heaven sessions, and he remained there for five years, greatly influencing Miles' evolving direction, loosening up his own style, and upon Miles' suggestion, converting to the Rhodes electric piano. In that time span, Hancock's solo career also blossomed on Blue Note, pouring forth increasingly sophisticated compositions like "Maiden Voyage," "Cantaloupe Island," "Goodbye to Childhood," and the exquisite "Speak Like a Child." He also played on many East Coast recording sessions for producer Creed Taylor and provided a groundbreaking score to Michelangelo Antonioni's film Blow Up, which gradually led to further movie assignments. Having left the Davis band in 1968, Hancock recorded an elegant funk album, Fat Albert Rotunda, and in 1969 formed a sextet that evolved into one of the most exciting, forward-looking jazz-rock groups of the era. Now deeply immersed in electronics, Hancock added the synthesizer of Patrick Gleeson to his Echoplexed, fuzz-wah-pedaled electric piano and clavinet, and the recordings became spacier and more complex rhythmically and structurally, creating its own corner of the avant-garde. By 1970, all of the musicians used both English and African names (Herbie's was Mwandishi). Alas, Hancock had to break up the band in 1973 when it ran out of money, and having studied Buddhism, he concluded that his ultimate goal should be to make his audiences happy. The next step, then, was a terrific funk group whose first album, Head Hunters, with its Sly Stone-influenced hit single, "Chameleon," became the biggest-selling jazz LP up to that time. Now handling all of the synthesizers himself, Hancock's heavily rhythmic comping often became part of the rhythm section, leavened by interludes of the old urbane harmonies. Hancock recorded several electric albums of mostly superior quality in the '70s, followed by a wrong turn into disco around the decade's end. In the meantime, Hancock refused to abandon acoustic jazz. After a one-shot reunion of the 1965 Miles Davis Quintet (Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter, with Freddie Hubbard sitting in for Miles) at New York's 1976 Newport Jazz Festival, they went on tour the following year as V.S.O.P. The near-universal acclaim of the reunions proved: that Hancock was still a whale of a pianist; that Miles' loose mid-'60s post-bop direction was far from spent; and that the time for a neo-traditional revival was near, finally bearing fruit in the '80s with Wynton Marsalis and his ilk. V.S.O.P. continued to hold sporadic reunions through 1992, though the death of the indispensable Williams in 1997 cast much doubt as to whether these gatherings would continue. Hancock continued his chameleonic ways in the '80s: scoring an MTV hit in 1983 with the scratch-driven, proto-industrial single "Rockit" (accompanied by a striking video); launching an exciting partnership with Gambian kora virtuoso Foday Musa Suso that culminated in the swinging 1986 live album Jazz Africa; doing film scores; and playing festivals and tours with the Marsalis brothers, George Benson, Michael Brecker, and many others. After his 1988 techno-pop album, Perfect Machine, Hancock left Columbia (his label since 1973), signed a contract with Qwest that came to virtually nothing (save for A Tribute to Miles in 1992), and finally made a deal with PolyGram in 1994 to record jazz for Verve and release pop albums on Mercury. Now well into a youthful middle age, Hancock's curiosity, versatility, and capacity for growth have shown no signs of fading, and in 1998 he issued Gershwin's World. -- All Music Guide, by Richard S. Ginell
01. Kumbasora 02. Debo 03. Cigarette Lighter 04. Jimbasing |
01. Watermelon Man 02. Three Bags Full 03. Empty Pockets 04. The Maze 05. Driftin' |
06. Alone and I 07. Watermelon Man [alternate take] 08. Three Bags Full [alternate take] 09. Empty Pockets |
01. Blind Man, Blind Man 02. A Tribute to Someone 03. King Cobra |
04. The Pleasure Is Mine 05. And What If I Don't 06. Blind Man, Blind Man [alternate take] |
01. Succotash 02. Triangle 03. Jack Rabbit |
04. Mimosa 05. A Jump Ahead |
01. One Finger Snap 02. Oliloqui Valley 03. Cantaloupe Island |
04. The Egg 05. One Finger Snap [alternate take] 06. Oliloqui Valley [alternate take] |
01. Jack Rabbit 02. Mimosa 03. A Jump Ahead |
04. Succotash 05. Triangle |
01. Maiden Voyage . 02. The Eye of the Hurricane 03. Little One |
04. Survival of the Fittest 05. Dolphin Dance |
01. Riot 02. Speak Like a Child 03. First Trip |
04. Toys 05. Goodbye to Childhood 06. The Sorcerer |
01. I Have a Dream 02. The Prisoner 03. Firewater 04. He Who Lives in Fear |
05. Promise of the Sun 06. The Prisoner [alternate take] 07. Firewater [alternate take] |
01. Wiggle-Waggle 02. Fat Mama 03. Tell Me a Bedtime Story 04. Oh! Oh! Here He Comes |
05. Jessica 06. Fat Albert Rotunda 07. Lil' Brother |
01. Ostinato (Suite for Angela) 02. You'll Know When You Get There 03. Wandering Spirit Song |
01. Sleeping Giant 02. Quasar 03. Water Torture |
01. Rain Dance 02. Hidden Shadows 03. Hornets |
01. Chameleon 02. Watermelon Man 03. Sly 04. Vein Melter |
01. Maiden Voyage 02. Dolphin Dance 03. Nobu 04. Cantaloupe Island |
01. Palm Grease 02. Actual Proof 03. Butterfly 04. Spank-A-Lee |
01. Death Wish 02. Joanna's Theme 03. Do a Thing 04. Paint Her Mouth 05. Rich Country |
06. Suite Revenge 07. Ochoa Knose 08. Party People 09. Fill Your Hand |
01. Introduction/Maiden Voyage 02. Actual Proof 03. Spank-A-Lee 04. Watermelon Man |
05. Butterfly 06. Chameleon 07. Hang up Your Hang Ups |
01. Hang up Your Hang Ups 02. Sun Touch 03. The Traitor |
04. Bubbles 05. Steppin' in It 06. Heartbeat |
01. Doin' It 02. People Music 03. Cantaloupe Island 04. Spider |
05. Gentle Thoughts 06. Swamp Rat 07. Sansho Shima |
01. Watch It 02. Speak Like a Child 03. Watching Waitin' For |
04. Look 05. Milestones |
01. One of a Kind 02. Third Plane 03. Jessica 04. Lawra |
05. Introduction of Players/Darts 06. Dolores 07. Little Waltz 08. Byrdlike |
01. Eye of the Hurricane 02. Diana 03. Eighty-One |
04. Maiden Voyage 05. Lawra 06. Red Clay |
01. I Thought It Was You 02. Come Running to Me 03. Sunlight |
04. No Means Yes 05. Good Question |
01. Piano Introduction 02. Maiden Voyage 03. Nefertiti 04. Introduction of Players/Eye of the Hurricane 05. Toys |
06. Introductions 07. You'll Know When You Get There 08. Hang up Your Hang Ups 09. Spider |
01. Butterfly 02. Shiftless Shuffle 03. I Thought It Was You |
01. My Funny Valentine 02. On Green Dolphin Street 03. Someday My Prince Will Come 04. Harvest Time |
05. Sonrisa 06. Manhattan Island 07. Blue Otani |
01. You Bet Your Love 02. Trust Me 03. Ready or Not |
04. Tell Everybody 05. Honey from the Jar 06. Knee Deep |
01. Spiraling Prism 02. Calypso 03. Just Around the Corner |
04. 4 A.M. 05. Shiftless Shuffle 06. Textures |
01. Saturday Night 02. Stars in Your Eyes 03. Go for It |
04. Don't Hold It In 05. Making Love 06. It All Comes Around |
01. Stable Mates 02. Dolphin Dance 03. A Slight Smile |
04. That Old Black Magic 05. La Maison Goree |
01. Well, You Needn't 02. 'Round Midnight 03. Clearways 04. A Quick Sketch 05. The Eye of the Hurricane |
06. Parade 07. The Sorcerer 08. Pee Wee 09. I Fall in Love Too Easily |
01. Magic Number 02. Tonight's the Night 03. Everybody's Broke |
04. Help Yourself 05. Satisfied With Love 06. The Twilight Clone |
01. Lite Me Up! 02. The Bomb 03. Gettin' to the Good Part 04. Paradise |
05. Can't Hide Your Love 06. The Fun Tracks 07. Motor Mouth 08. Give It All Your Heart |
01. Rockit 02. Future Shock 03. TFS 04. Earth Beat |
05. Autodrive 06. Rough 07. Rockit |
01. Hard Rock 02. Metal Beat 03. Karabali 04. Junku |
05. People Are Changing 06. Sound System 07. Metal Beat |
01. Moon/Light 02. Ndan Ndan Nyaria 03. Early Warning 04. Kanatente |
01. Kumbasora 02. Debo 03. Cigarette Lighter 04. Jimbasing |
01. Perfect Machine 02. Obsession 03. Vibe Alive 04. Beat Wise |
05. Maiden Voyager 06. Chemical Residue 07. Vibe Alive 08. Beat Wise |
01. Someday My Prince Will Come 02. Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) 03. Button Up 04. Introduction of Herbie Hancock by Chick /Corea |
05. February Moment 06. Maiden Voyage 07. La Fiesta |
01. Call It '95 02. Dis Is da Drum 03. Shooz 04. Melody (On the Deuce by 44) 05. Mojuba 06. Butterfly |
07. Ju Ju 08. Hump 09. Come and See Me 10. Rubber Soul 11. Bo Ba Be Da |
01. Jammin' With Herbie 02. Herbie's Blues 03. Rock Your Soul |
04. T.C.B. With Herbie 05. Soul Power 06. Cat Call |
01. New York Minute 02. Mercy Street 03. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) 04. When Can I See You 05. You've Got It Bad Girl |
06. Love Is Stronger Than Pride 07. Scarborough Fair 08. Thieves in the Temple 09. All Apologies 10. Manhattan (Island of Lights and Love) |
01. Meridianne-A Wood Sylph 02. Aung San Suu Kyi 03. Sonrisa 04. Memory of Enchantment 05. Visitor from Nowhere |
06. Joanna's Theme 07. Diana 08. Visitor from Somewhere 09. Manhattan Lorelei 10. Hale-Bopp Hip-Hop |
01. Overture (Fascinating Rhythm) 02. It Ain't Necessarily So 03. The Man I Love 04. Here Come de Honey Man 05. St. Louis Blues 06. Lullaby 07. Blueberry Rhyme |
08. It Ain't Necessarily So 09. Cotton Tail 10. Summertime 11. My Man's Gone Now 12. Prelude in C Sharp Minor 13. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In G, 2nd 14. Embraceable You |
01. Night Walker 02. Live and Awake 03. Scoochie 04. Witch Fire 05. Afro Boogie |
06. Far Out 07. Hot and Heavy 08. Herbie's Blues 09. T.C.B. With Herbie 10. Soul Power |
01. Currio's 02. Bird House 03. Mr. Lucky |
04. Out of This World 05. Daydreams 06. I'm an Old Man |
01. Watermelon Man 02. Actual Proof 03. Hang up Your Hang Ups 04. Heartbeat 05. Kuru/Speak Like a Child 06. Cantaloupe Island |
07. Swamp Rat 08. Come Running to Me 09. 4 A.M. 10. Everybody's Broke 11. Rockit |
01. Kebero, Pt. 1 02. Wisdom 03. The Essence 04. This Is Rob Swift 05. Black Gravity 06. Tony Williams |
07. Be Still 08. Ionosphere 09. Kebero, Pt. 2 10. Alphabeta 11. Virtual Hornets |
01. Day Dreams 02. Kamli 03. Curro's 04. Herbie's Blues 05. It's a Beautiful Evening 06. Rock Your Soul |
07. One and Awake 08. Hot Piano 09. Jammin' With Herbie 10. Witchfire 11. Nightwalkers |
01. The Sorcerer 02. The Poet 03. So What/Impressions 04. Misstery |
05. Naima 06. Transition 07. My Ship 08. D Trane |
01. I Have a Dream 02. The Prisoner 03. Firewater 04. He Who Lives in Fear |
05. Promise of the Sun 06. The Prisoner [alternate take] 07. Firewater [alternate take] |