
Herbie Hancock
Biography
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet", Hancock helped 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. Hancock's music is often melodic and accessible; he has had many songs "cross over" and achieved success among pop audiences. His music embraces elements of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz. In his jazz improvisation, he possesses a unique creative blend of jazz, blues, and modern classical music, with harmonic stylings much like the styles of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Hancock's best-known solo works include "Cantaloupe Island", "Watermelon Man" (later performed by dozens of musicians, including bandleader Mongo Santamaría), "Maiden Voyage", "Chameleon", and the singles "I Thought It Was You" and "Rockit". His 2007 tribute album River: The Joni Letters won the 2008 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, only the second jazz album ever to win the award after Getz/Gilberto in 1965.
As a member of Soka Gakkai, Hancock is an adherent of the Nichiren school of Mahayana Buddhism.
Acting (71 movies)

The Girls in the Band
2011

Blue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz
1997

Herbie Hancock Trio: Hurricane!
1984

Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
2006

'Round Midnight
1986

Larry presents: Best of The 80s
2004

World of Rhythm: Live in Lugano
2002

Joni Mitchell - The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song
2023

Dejohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny in Concert
1990

Hitters
2002

Quincy Jones : 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux
2008

One Night with Blue Note
2004

Marcus Miller - Master Of All Trades
2006

Keep On Keepin’ On
2014

Herbie Hancock: Jazz Channel
2001

Herbie Hancock Future2future Live
2002

Lang Lang & Herbie Hancock - Live in Berlin
2012

The Neville Brothers: Tell It Like It Is
1991

Tribute to Miles - Jazz à Vienne
2011

Miles Davis - At La Villette
1991

Jacob Collier: In the Room Where It Happens
2022

Celebrity Guide to Wine
1990

Hargrove
2022

The Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock
2002

Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue
2004

The Making of Sun City
1985

Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes
2022

A MusiCares Tribute To Barbra Streisand
2012

Experience Montreux
2013

Prachtig 80: Volume 2
2003

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2019

Herbie Hancock - The River Of Possibilities Tour - Jazz a Vienne
2008

Live at Munich Summer Piano Festiva
1988

Don Lewis and The Live Electronic Orchestra
2024

Miles Ahead
2016

Jazz at the White House
2016

They All Came Out to Montreux
2023

Jazz Under the Skies
1990

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
2017

Indecent Proposal
1993

Miles Davis: Around Midnight
2011

Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind
2003

Kareem: Minority of One
2015

Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments
2004

Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland: Parallel Realities Live... (Live at Mellon Jazz Festival)
1990

Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
2019

Gustavo Dudamel and Herbie Hancock Celebrate Gershwin
2011

Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar
1995

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
2008

Charles Lloyd - Arrows Into Infinity
2014

It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story
2018

Quincy Jones: Breaking New Sound
2008

Music
2010

International Jazz Day Australia Concert 2019
2019

Marcus
2015

Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
2018

We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
2009

That Click
2019

On the Shoulders of Giants
2011

Branford Marsalis: Steep
1991

Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux
2004

More Than Jazz
2016

Buster Williams Bass to Infinity
2019

River of Gold
2016

Wayne Shorter: Live at Montreux 1996
1996

PBS Soundstage 1974: Chick Corea & Return to Forever + Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters
1974

Miles Davis Quintet: Milan 1964
1964

Herbie
2025

A Man's Story
2011

Before Midnight
1986

Chick Corea: The Musician
2017
Directing (1 movie)
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Blow-Up | 1966 | Original Music Composer |
| Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert | 1969 | Original Music Composer |
| The Spook Who Sat by the Door | 1973 | Original Music Composer |
| Death Wish | 1974 | Original Music Composer |
| A Soldier's Story | 1984 | Original Music Composer |
| Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling | 1986 | Original Music Composer |
| 'Round Midnight | 1986 | Original Music Composer |
| Action Jackson | 1988 | Original Music Composer |
| Colors | 1988 | Original Music Composer |
| The George McKenna Story | 1988 | Original Music Composer |
| Harlem Nights | 1989 | Original Music Composer |
| Livin' Large! | 1991 | Original Music Composer |
| On the Shoulders of Giants | 2011 | Original Music Composer |