1940 On April 12, Herbert Jeffrey Hancock born in wealthy family, Illinois, Chicago, United States. His father was a government inspector and music lover, his mother played piano, his older brother and sister played music.
1947 – Herbie began classical piano lesson.
1950 – Proceed the advanced course and learned writing and read score by Mr. Jordan.
1951 – Co-stared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.26 in D Major)
1960 – Left Grinnell College, he studied electrical engineering.
Backed to Chicago and began working with Donald Byrd and Coleman Hawkins.
1961 – On January, moved to New York, was called by Donald Byrd.
1962 – ‘Takin’ Off’, Hancock’s first leader album, includes ‘Watermelon Man’. (Hard Bop, Funky Jazz)
1963 – Provide ‘Watermelon Man’ to Mongo Santamaria, was hit.
1964 – Acquaintance with Miles Davis and he force Hancock to have an audition. Participated in Miles Davis’s ‘second great quintet’ with Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.
‘Empyrean Isles’ includes ‘Cantaloupe Island’ (Hard Bop, Soul Jazz, New Mainstream)
Sideman of ‘Speak No Evil’ by Wayne Shorter. (New Mainstream)
1965 – ‘Maiden Voyage’ Adopted expanded the mode approach with member of Miles Davis Quintet and Freddie Hubbard. A representative work of New Mainstream Jazz and Herbie Hancock. (New Mainstream)
1966 – ‘Blow-Up’ (Soundtrack)
1967 – ‘Miles Smiles’ by Miles Davis, the musical style declared in this album would be called ‘New Mainstream Jazz’ or ‘Modern Mainstream’. (New Mainstream)
1968 – ‘Speak Like a Child’ Adopted a not common sextet (alto flute, flugelhorn, bass trombone and rhythm section) and treat the horn section as a accompaniment part. (Hard Bop, Post-Bop)
‘Miles in the Sky’ by Miles Davis, in this album Miles force Hancock to play a electric piano. (Post-Bop, Electric Jazz)
Hancock left the Miles Davis’s band.
1969 – ‘Prisoner’ Use uncommon horn sections on the extension of ‘Speak Like a Child’ and practice of electronic piano. (Post-Bop, Electric Jazz, Fusion)
1973 – ‘Head Hunters’, Masterpiece and big hit of Jazz Funk. Boldly adopted Funk sound of James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone and Earth, Wind & Fire. Employ Funk musicians and some of synthesizers. Then Hancock created the music fusion groove of Funk and improvisations of Jazz. (Jazz Funk, Fusion)
1975 – Sideman of ‘Jaco Pastorius’ by Jaco Pastorius. (Fusion)
1976 – ‘VSOP’ A live album of the summing up of the career of Hancock. The VSOP Quintet was supposed to be a special band (but the quintet continued the activity). The member of the VSOP Quintet are Miles Davis quintet without Miles and Freddie Hubbard. This quintet played the music like a revival of New Mainstream Jazz. The second of the records recorded sextet (in ‘Speak Like a Child’) and Jazz Funk aspects of Hancock. Especially cutting guitar plays by Ray Parker Jr. and Wah Wah Watson in ’Hang Up Your Hang Ups’ would be called the ’bible of funk guitar (or cutting guitar)’.
1977 – ‘Herbie Hancock Trio’ Revival of authentic Jazz.
1978 – Sideman of ‘Mingus’ by Joni Mitchell (Folk Jazz, Vocal Jazz)
1982 – ‘Quartet’ Featured an up-and-coming trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Some of songs of the album were from repertoire of Miles’s the ‘second great quintet’ and the VSOP. (Resurgence of Traditionalism, New Mainstream)
1983 – ‘Future Shock’ was produced by Bill Laswell, and adopted Hip Hop sound and scratching by Grand Mixer DXT. The song of the album ‘Rockit’ made a big hit in worldwide. (Electro Funk, Instrumental Hip Hop)
1986 – ‘Round Midnight’ A soundtrack of Jazz movie. (Soundtrack)
1994 – ‘Dis is da Drum’ A reaction to Acid Jazz by Hancock. (Fusion, Jazz Funk, Instrumental Hip Hop)
1998 – ‘Gershwin’s World’ Featured the songs of George Gershwin. (Traditional Jazz, Orchestra Jazz)
2001 – ‘Future2Future’ Featured Bill Laswell, Carl Craig (Detroit Techno producer and DJ), A Guy Called Gerald (Drum ’n’ Bass and Techno producer), Rob Swift (Hip Hop DJ and turntablist) and Chaka Khan (Soul singer). (Fusion, Electronica)
2007 – ‘River: The Joni Letter’ A tribute album of songs written by Joni Mitchell. Guet vocalists include Lenard Cohen, Tina Turner, Norah Jones and Joni Mitchell. (Vocal Jazz, Folk Jazz, Pops)
References
‘Standard Text of Herbie Hancock’ Jazz Critic Editors, Matsuzaka, 2002
‘Herbie Hancock: Possibilities’ by Herbie Hancock and Lisa Dickey, Viking, 2014
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