Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancockis an American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer and actor. Starting his career with Donald Byrd, he shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet where Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the post-bop sound. He was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace synthesizers and funk music. Hancock's music is often melodic and accessible; he has had many songs "cross over" and achieved success...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPianist
Date of Birth12 April 1940
CityChicago, IL
CountryUnited States of America
Oh yeah, the funny thing is that all my pictures in the past were all smiley pictures, and it's only been in recent pictures where I've had some where I don't smile.
In the past, there's always been one leader that has led the pack to development of the music.
Jazz has been the voice of freedom for so many countries over the past half century,
I keep recycling and repackaging music that I've done in the past, as though I can't write anymore. Like, okay, I'm done with that. But I need to kind of prod myself again into come on, Herbie, get off your duff and start writing some new music.
You don't know what that's going to sound like; you just do it because the urge is there.
What I always wonder is, why is it that whenever I make a record they think that whatever that thing is on that record, that's the only thing I do?
What's music supposed to be about anyway? Is it a means for a musician to masturbate, or is it for people to listen to?
The other reason is the concept of attitude. I didn't want to appear angry, but it's okay to appear serious or to not smile.
When you try to define a purity as being something that's closed and limited, you're not talking about the music that I play called jazz.
When you struggle to reach for something you don't know, that's where the most interesting stuff is.
When I'm sensitive to the circumstances surrounding me, then I can be inspired by them or use them in whatever I may be creating.
When I do concerts, because I've been in the business for a long time and certain pieces of music have become associated with me, I do some pieces from the past.
When I discovered Buddhism, I realized that Buddhism agrees with that. Buddhism adds something, too, which is that your life also never begins. It's eternal.
When I did Future 2 Future, it occurred to me, that I hadn't really done anything in electric music in a while.