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
We realize that there doesn't seem to be a lot of people looking into new ways of reexamining the conventions that we've grown to accept in the music.
It's not easy to play in a framework that requires simplicity and to tastefully find ways to interject the kind of freedom that we have in playing jazz.
It pulled me like a magnet, jazz did, because it was a way that I could express myself.
I'm always interested in looking forward toward the future. Carving out new ways of looking at things.
The value of music is to be able to play one note at the right time in the right way.
I don't go around, the way many musicians do, with earbuds in my ear listening to my iPod all day and just sticking my head in the music all the time.
I think there's a great beauty to having problems. That's one of the ways we learn.
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.