HERBIE HANCOCK

Born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, piano great Herbie Hancock worked
with Donald Byrd and Miles Davis while developing his own jazz recording career,
beginning with his debut album, Takin' Off. Hancock explored a number of genres, as
seen on albums like Mwandishi and Head Hunters, and had a 1980s hit with the mixfest "Rockit." A film composer as well, he has won an Academy Award and many
Grammy Awards. Hancocks creative path has moved zigzagging and forward in
almost every development in acoustic, electronic jazz and R&B since the beginning
of his career. As the majority of great musicians Herbie Hancock have always
expressed an interest in expanding his boundaries. Having studied engineering, he
was perfectly suited for the electronic age, his sextet become one of the most
forward-looking jazz-rock groups of the 70s. He is still alive, doing gigs, working for
UNESCO and as a chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute.
Appart of being a very prolific composer of tunes that have become standards
(Dolphin Dance, Watermelon Man, Maiden Voyage) and a great arranger (check Joni
Letters, arrangements of tunes of Joni Mitchell), he also developed his own unique
style. Some of the main elements of his style are:
1-Harmonic chromatic movement
(from autumn leaves)

2-Use of triads over different triads for voicings:

(from Oliloqui Valley) Eb- over E-

3-Use of particular notes that don't belong to the chord:

(from the Sorcerer)

4-Develop great combinate of both hands rhythms:

5- Use of very simple motives to conect very complex harmonies. (also previous example)
6- The use of space, pretty much inspired by the Ahmad Jamal concept.
Some nice recording to get introduced to Herbie Hancock would be the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuhFQAzgnFQ
The famous standard Autumn Leaves, where you can really hear their on take on it, filled with
interaction and always keeping the groove. Note how they create tension a release with dynamics,
chord dissonaces, and rhytmic modulation, and also how Herbie steps out of the way without
playing and after a few bars coming back with a clear coming statement. Quite amazing the fact that
in this recording he was 24 and he had already figured his own musical path.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB2Z2DY17yQ

This recording would stablish Herbie Hanock between the greats of jazz. Appart of having a very
nice choice of musicians (rhythm section of Miles Davis second quintet, plus Dexter Gordon and
Freddie Hubbard), this tune is also shows what a great composer he is, getting away from functional
harmony and creating new sounds, but still making it sounds like a catchy song because of the
melody being so strong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmdS_MIxsiE
I would also like to add this tune by John Mayer, where Herbie was featured. This is a great
example of how great the musicality of Herbie Hancock is, being able to do a recording with pop
artists and still being able to do something meaninful, artitstic and full of content.