Now in the sixth decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: at the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. In addition to being recognized as a legendary pianist and composer, Herbie Hancock has been an integral part of every popular music movement since the 1960’s.
As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that pioneered a groundbreaking sound in jazz, he also developed new approaches on his own recordings, followed by his work in the 70s - with record-breaking albums such as "Headhunters" - that combined electric jazz with funk and rock in an innovative style that continues to influence contemporary music. "Rockit" and "Future Shock" marked Hancock's foray into electronic dance sounds; during the same period he also continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P., which included ex-Miles Davis bandmates Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams....
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Now in the sixth decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: at the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. In addition to being recognized as a legendary pianist and composer, Herbie Hancock has been an integral part of every popular music movement since the 1960’s.
As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that pioneered a groundbreaking sound in jazz, he also developed new approaches on his own recordings, followed by his work in the 70s - with record-breaking albums such as "Headhunters" - that combined electric jazz with funk and rock in an innovative style that continues to influence contemporary music. "Rockit" and "Future Shock" marked Hancock's foray into electronic dance sounds; during the same period he also continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P., which included ex-Miles Davis bandmates Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams.
Hancock received an Academy Award for his Round Midnight film score and 14 Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year for "River: The Joni Letters," and two 2011 Grammy Awards for the recently released globally collaborative album, "The Imagine Project."
Hancock serves as Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and as Institute Chairman of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. In 2011 Hancock was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and in December of 2013, received a Kennedy Center Honor. His memoirs, Herbie Hancock: Possibilities, were published in 2014, and in February 2016 he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hancock is currently in the studio at work on a new album.
Få artister i musikhistorien har som Herbie Hancock (f. 1940) haft større indflydelse på krydsfeltet mellem akustisk og elektronisk jazz, hiphop og r’n’b. Som hans tidligere læremester Miles Davis udtrykte det: “Herbie var skridtet videre fra Bud Powell og Thelonious Monk, men jeg har ikke hørt nogen, der kunne træde i hans fodspor.”
Herbie Hancock nyder pionérstatus efter seks årtiers konstant udforskning af jazzen, hvilket har ført ham igennem flere markante stilskift – som pianist, komponist, producer og keyboard-innovator. I 1962 debuterede han med albummet “Takin' Off”, der kickstartede hans solokarriere på Blue Note. Samtidig var han en del af Miles Davis’ berømte anden kvintet i 1964-68 og Miles’ elektriske periode omkring 1969-72, hvor Davis sammen med bl.a. Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin og Chick Corea revolutionerede fusionsjazzen.
Herbie Hancock fortsatte sin rejse som frontløber for den elektriske jazz på et både kosmisk og afrofuturistisk bagtæppe. I 70’erne udgav han enormt populære albums med Mwandishi og Headhunters, hvis selvbetitlede plade blev det første jazzalbum nogensinde til at få platin. I midten af årtiet spillede Herbie Hancock stadionkoncerter over hele verden og havde ikke mindre end fire albums på hitlisterne – samtidigt. Hancock blev i 70’erne og 80’erne et ikon, og han er forblevet en stor inspiration for hiphoppen og den elektroniske musik i generationerne frem til i dag. Hans musik bliver samplet overalt, og han har indspillet med det nye årtusindes stjerner som Robert Glasper, Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, Snoop Dogg og Thundercat.
Men Herbie Hancock har også holdt fast i den akustiske jazz. Midt i 70’ernes kunstneriske og teknologiske nybrud indspillede han V.S.O.P. (der genforenede ham med vennerne fra Davis’ kvintet) og udgav banebrydende duoplader med Chick Corea og Oscar Peterson. I 1980 producerede han tidens nye stjerne Wynton Marsalis’ debutalbum, og han har skrevet musik til film, hvoraf hans soundtrack til ‘Round Midnight sikrede ham en Oscar. I 2008 stod Herbie Hancock bag hyldestalbummet “River: The Joni Letters”, der vandt Grammyen for Album of the Year som det i øvrigt kun andet jazzalbum nogensinde – det første siden “Getz/Gilberto” i 1965.
Foruden en lang række hæderspriser, 14 Grammyer og en Oscar er Herbie Hancock udnævnt som UNESCO-ambassadør, NEA Jazz Master og æresprofessor på Harvard. Hans fantastiske diskografi tæller så forskellige hits som “Watermelon Man”, “Cantaloupe Island”, “Maiden Voyage”, “Chameleon”, “I Thought It Was You”, og “Rockit”.
Herbie Hancock, der i øjeblikket er i studiet for at indspille nyt materiale, er første internationale hovednavn på Copenhagen Jazz Festival 2022 efter to aflyste verdensturnéer i 20/21 – og Copenhagen Jazz Festival og DR Koncerthuset er stolte af endelig igen at kunne præsentere dette globale jazzikon i Koncertsalen lørdag den 2. juli.
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