Herbie Hancock

Born and raised in Chicago in 1940, Herbert Jeffrey Hancock began learning the piano at age seven. Nothing surprising there; loads of kids learn an instrument for a while before moving on to other things. What is quite extraordinary is that a mere four years later, young Herbie was performing Mozart with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Somewhere in his teens, Herbie shifted in a blue direction, sitting in with visiting jazz musicians and discovering his love for the style of music that would dominate his life. Did we say ‘style’, singular? No way! After Miles Davis, there are few jazz musicians—indeed, few musicians, period—who have been so restless yet focused, so pure of intent yet diverse, so unpredictably, thrillingly eclectic as H Hancock, Esq.

1961 saw the debut album by Herbie Hancock as leader, the highly regarded and appropriately titled Takin’ Off. Hancock’s sixties recordings for the famed Blue Note label produced a number of five-star jazz albums. His playing, initially influenced by Bill Evans but with a unique drive and momentum, coupled with an ability to write truly memorable tunes (cue the insanely catchy “Watermelon Man”, recorded by over 200 artists), resulted in Herbie Hancock attracting a degree of fame afforded few jazz musicians. Meanwhile, his work with Miles Davis only confirmed what everybody knew: few musicians could confidently navigate Miles’ restless world and even fewer pianists could embrace change and exploration like Herbie Hancock. When he embraced electric keyboards as well—Fender Rhodes, synthesisers of many and varied hue—the jazz cognoscenti may have been horrified, but music fans loved it.

From the jazz funk of the Headhunters, through the synth/dance sounds of “Rockit” to the 2007 exploration of the Joni Mitchell songbook, Herbie Hancock has followed the winds and currents of his own muse, sailing wherever he pleases but always delivering music both thoughtful and entirely classy.

© Bruce Jenkins 2020