Rebirth of the Cool: Herbie Hancock on Tour
Herbie Hancock
By Mike Briotta
PRIME Editor
It's said that you never step in the same river twice; that change is the only constant. So too, the music of Herbie Hancock is known for its perpetual reinvention - the world-renowned pianist and composer returning to Tanglewood this summer has always pushed the boundaries of the prevailing times, and transcended them.
Hancock is a musical chameleon: jazz giant of the 1960s, fusion pioneer in the funky '70s; technology driven hip-hop artist in the '80s; and global musical collaborator today.
He's inspired jazz combos; jam bands and hip-hop stars, all emulating his multi-generational music. The litany of names he's collaborated with could fill a phone book: Miles Davis, Tony Williams, Chick Corea, Jaco Pastorius, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, just to name a few.
Hancock had a music video hit and his first Grammy award in 1983 with the instrumental single "Rockit" - also the first mainstream single to feature hip-hop scratching. Today, he's won a dozen Grammy awards for his wide-ranging musical styles.
His dynamic personality has its own flow, a creative current taking a unique path through our collective consciousness. He's been a relevant force in popular culture for more than a half-century, and shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.
"Tanglewood has had an amazing history as a place of culture and support for culture."
-- Herbie Hancock
The 70-year-old crossover jazz-funk-fusion legend spoke with PRIME Magazine before embarking on a European stint this summer, en route to his upcoming performance at Tanglewood Aug. 9. It's all part of his latest tour to promote his new recording, "The Imagine Project." Released in late June, it explores the theme of music as the universal language and is based on the John Lennon concept.
"Tanglewood has had an amazing history as a place of culture and support for culture," Hancock said in anticipation of returning to Western Massachusetts this season.
"The atmosphere is relaxed. Art has always had a close relation to nature; nature inspires creativity. The times that I've played at Tanglewood, it hasn't been very often, but it's always an enjoyable summertime event."
Miles Away
From his early roots with the Miles Davis Quintet in 1963, Hancock helped redefine the role of the rhythm section in jazz. He soon became known for his own compositions, starting with the breakout success "Watermelon Man" to the self-described greatest song he ever wrote "Maiden Voyage," and the landmark recording "Head Hunters." Many of his compositions would become jazz standards.
Hancock's canon continues to be elaborated upon and embellished by musicians today. "Head Hunters" is looked back upon as a defining moment in the genre of jazz-fusion. In 2007, the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry, which collects significant sound recordings of modern history.
At the time of its re-issue on CD, it was arguably the best-selling jazz album of all time, and has been an inspiration not only for jazz musicians, but also to funk, soul music, pop and hip-hop artists.
That legacy lived on in the 1990s, as "Head Hunters" samples were used in hip-hop songs by performers such as LL Cool J and Digital Underground. More recently Hancock teamed up with John Mayer in a revamped "Head Hunters" touring group.
The composer didn't envision that the recording would have such a widespread influence across all genres of music.
"I never thought about that until it started happening," said Hancock. "'Head Hunters' came out and 'Chameleon' got some attention. These songs got covered a lot. The nice thing is, I still get paid [laughs] and it keeps the song going. 'Head Hunters' evidently resonated with a lot of people."
"Head Hunters" gave rise to standards like "Chameleon" and influenced generations to come - and was one of the first jazz albums to be certified gold. The recording featured just four tracks, each at an average length of more than 10 minutes long.
The performer has seemingly done it all, including work on movies such as the classic Vanessa Redgrave film "Blowup." He also wrote dozens of commercial jingles dating back to the 1950s. Hancock is now busy scoring an upcoming film about Miles Davis, starring Don Cheadle, which has sparked fond memories for the pianist.
"I've had a few conversations with Don. I recently had a meeting with Don and the screenwriter, and they talked about the story," Hancock said.
"It's not a documentary," he continued. "It never intends to be a documentary. What Don wanted to do is capture the spirit of Miles Davis' approach to music. It has enigma and mystery; his musical statements themselves offer questions, and also offer various interpretations. I know that Don had something in mind, which he felt captured the spirit of the music."
Hancock's latest release, "The Imagine Project," includes a multitude of artists, including Pink and The Chieftains - and many other household names that people rarely say in the same breath. It's a diverse, worldwide collaboration that Hancock said was first sparked by his relationship with Miles Davis and subsequent career in music.
"I got a real sense of collaborating when I was with Miles and his musical responses were in the moment - based on what he was hearing from the rhythm section around him," Hancock said about his inspiration for "The Imagine Project."
Hancock is known for working with famous drummers in particular, most notably with the legendary Tony Williams, and more recently with Teri Lynne Carrington. On this tour, he'll be backed by well-known drumset artist Vinnie Colaiuta.
"I decided a long time ago not to have a permanent band. I wanted to have different personnel; to change and grow," he said.
New Chapters
Bill Cosby once pleaded with Miles Davis during the 1980s to play his older material, but the trumpeter declined, because he said his music had to progress.
Audiences may also have wildly different expectations of Hancock's music based on whether they first heard him as a "Head Hunter" or in a different context.
Will Hancock be playing tracks from all those eras at Tanglewood, or rather focus exclusively on new material?
"A lot of more 'built-in' fans come to my music through 'Rockit' or 'Watermelon Man' but some may have grown to become fans from when I was with Miles Davis or the Blue Note jazz recordings," he said.
"Many fans that may have started off hearing my music with 'Head Hunters' may have changed their tastes to become straight-ahead jazz fans."
Hancock added of his Tanglewood gig: "I'll be doing both: music from the classic period and some things from 'River, The Joni Letters' for the first part, and for the second part I'll be doing songs from 'Imagine.'"
He continued, "Since that was recorded in different types of musical environments, that was a problem [to re-create live]. We're using some parts from the recordings, when synching it up works. We're still figuring out how to do it and still keep the spontaneity. We're only trying this with three to four tracks; the rest will be completely live."
His 2007 tribute album to Joni Mitchell, "River: The Joni Letters," won the 2008 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It was only the second jazz album ever to win the award.
That recording has an organic tone, focused on natural, ambient acoustics without much processing. It doesn't seem out of place when listened to next to music from the Blue Note era. Hancock said that return to a pared-down sound in the recording of his 2007 album was no mistake.
"Most of the recordings we did with Miles, and in the Blue Note sessions, were treated with some sense of organic development," he said. "It's part of our musical DNA. You can also hear it in 'The Joni Letters.'"
The pianist and composer recently turned 70, before the release of his latest recording this summer. It's a milestone that might make many people take stock of their lives.
PRIME asked the musical great if he's changed his touring or recording schedule at all due to his age. And, as a Buddhist, how does that affect his views of life and aging?
"Have I made it lighter on myself? No. I don't need to," Hancock said. "I'm in pretty much perfect health. A tour I was on a couple of years ago, the two people that did a pretty good job of surviving were the two oldest guys. Me and [bassist] Dave Holland held up pretty well. One time we had nine to 10 gigs, back-to-back, in different countries."
He continued, "Have I ever thought about retiring? The answer is yes: that retirement to me is when they put your arms across your chest and you go six feet under. As long as I'm breathing, the word 'retiring' doesn't apply. I may make some changes, but that's evolution not devolution. I'm going to continue to evolve, learn and be a student of life."
Ultimately, many of Hancock's methods and viewpoints are guided by his beliefs as a Buddhist. They have grounded him throughout his musical career.
And it also helps explain why he's so adept at wading through the ongoing river of life, while enjoying many different musical waters along the way.
"Buddhism really is about dialogue; about being open and respecting the beauty in every human being," said Hancock. "Buddhism doesn't say you only find truth in Buddhism - you can find it anywhere. But when you find the truth, you have found Buddhism. I believe in the four sufferings: birth, growth, sickness and death. I consider aging part of sickness. There will be no final statement, but a turn of the page, or a new chapter. Life is eternal; there is no beginning, no end."
Tickets for Hancock's upcoming performance are available through Tanglewood's Web site. For more information, please visit
www.tanglewood.org.
