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
When you struggle to reach for something you don't know, that's where the most interesting stuff is.
I would be all over the piano, but Miles would play a few notes that would just wipe out all that fancy stuff I was playing.
I try stuff. I synthesize what's of value with some of the other things I have at my disposal.
It's part of my nature. I get excited when trying out new stuff, whether it be an idea or equipment. It stimulates my juices.
Technology has developed to a whole other level and theres the scientist part of me that loves that stuff.
When you struggle to reach for something you don't know, that's where most of the interesting stuff is.
I was a jazz purist at the time, I had tunnel vision about jazz and classical music,
I think a lot of young people being brought up in this scene feel a sense of ruthlessness. There's nothing to plant them deeply down in the soil somehow so they can bend and sway from there.
It gets boring when you look out at the audience and you see that 90 percent of the people out there are males.
Jazz is a music that translates the moment into a sense of inspiration for not only the musicians but for the listeners.
I said, 'If Miles is so open, it must be cool to be open to all this other stuff.'
People are afraid to spend money now because they don't know how long they're going to be working.
We're dealing with jazz, so we don't have pop/mainstream budgets.
Well, I was becoming more of a jazz snob, in thinking that jazz was a higher kind of music, and that R&B was, yes, for the body and more commercial.