Herbie Hancock
Sound
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.
TV Shows(16)
By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem
Self
2020
Jay Leno's Garage
Self
2015
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Self
2015
Girl Meets World
Self
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self
2014
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Classic Albums
Self
1997
Kulturzeit
self
1995
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
ECHO-Verleihung
Self
1992
Saturday Night Live
Self - Musical Guest
1975
Rock Concert
Self
1973
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest
Self
1972
Great Performances
Self
1971
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
The Grammys
Self
1959
Movies(84)
Herbie
Self (Archives)
2025
Henry Mancini: 100 at the Hollywood Bowl
Self
2024
Don Lewis and The Live Electronic Orchestra
Self
2024
They All Came Out to Montreux
Self
2023
Joni Mitchell - The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song
Self
2023
Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes
Self
2022
Herbie Hancock - Live at SummerStage 2022
Self
2022
Hargrove
Self
2022
Jacob Collier: In the Room Where It Happens
2022
That Click
Self
2019
Buster Williams Bass to Infinity
Himself
2019
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Self - Musician
2019
Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
Self
2019
International Jazz Day Australia Concert 2019
Self
2019
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Self
2018
It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story
Self
2018
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Defence Minister
2017
Chick Corea: The Musician
Self
2017
More Than Jazz
Himself
2016
Jazz at the White House
Self
2016
River of Gold
Narrator
2016
Miles Ahead
Live Concert Band
2016
Kareem: Minority of One
Self
2015
Marcus
Self
2015
Herbie Hancock Trio - Full Concert - 08/14/88 - Newport Jazz Festival
Self
2014
Charles Lloyd - Arrows Into Infinity
Piano
2014
Keep On Keepin' On
Self
2014
Experience Montreux
Self
2013
Lang Lang & Herbie Hancock - Live in Berlin
Himself
2012
Gustavo Dudamel and Herbie Hancock Celebrate Gershwin
2011
The Girls in the Band
2011
A Man's Story
Self
2011
All-Star Jazz Show: Live from The Ed Sullivan Theater
Self
2011
Miles Davis: Around Midnight
Piano
2011
Tribute to Miles - Jazz à Vienne
Himself
2011
A MusiCares Tribute To Barbra Streisand
Self - Performer
2011
On the Shoulders of Giants
2011
Music
Self
2010
DeJohnette, Metheny, Holland, Hancock - Parallel Realities Live
Himself
2010
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
Self
2009
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
Self
2008
Quincy Jones : 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux
Self
2008
Herbie Hancock - The River Of Possibilities Tour - Jazz a Vienne
Piano
2008
Quincy Jones: Breaking New Sound
Self
2008
Marcus Miller - Master Of All Trades
Self
2006
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
Self
2006
Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue
Self
2004
Herbie Hancock Special
2004
Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments
Self
2004
One Night with Blue Note
Self
2004
Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux
2004
Larry presents: Best of The 80s
Self
2004
Prachtig 80: Volume 2
Self
2003
Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind
Self
2003
Hitters
District Attorney
2002
World of Rhythm - Live in Lugano
Self
2002
The Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock
Himself
2002
Herbie Hancock Future2future Live
Himself
2002
Herbie Hancock: Jazz Channel
Herbie Hancock
2001
Blue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz
Self
1997
Wayne Shorter: Live at Montreux 1996
1996
Antonio Carlos Jobim: An All-Star Tribute
Self - Pianist
1995
Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar
Self
1995
Indecent Proposal
Himself
1993
The Neville Brothers: Tell It Like It Is
1991
Miles Davis - At La Villette
Himself
1991
Branford Marsalis: Steep
Self
1991
Dejohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny in Concert
1990
Jazz Under the Skies
Self
1990
Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland: Parallel Realities Live... (Live at Mellon Jazz Festival)
Keyboards
1990
Celebrity Guide to Wine
Self
1990
Live at Munich Summer Piano Festiva
1988
Bobby McFerrin: Spontaneous Inventions
Himself
1987
Herbie Hancock At The Munich Summer Piano Festival
Himself
1987
Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis
Self
1986
'Round Midnight
Eddie Wayne
1986
Before Midnight
Self (archive footage)
1986
The Making of Sun City
Self
1985
I Love Quincy
Self
1984
Herbie Hancock Trio: Hurricane!
Self - Piano
1984
PBS Soundstage 1974: Chick Corea & Return to Forever + Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters
1974
Miles Davis Quintet: Milan 1964
1964
Herbie Hancock And The Rockit Band Live in London
Themself
Herbie Hancock And The Rockit Band
Self