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 |