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.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (45)
Herbie
as Self (Archives)
2025
Don Lewis and The Live Electronic Orchestra
as Self
2024
They All Came Out to Montreux
as Self
2023
Joni Mitchell - The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song
as Self
2023
Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes
as Self
2022
Herbie Hancock - Live at SummerStage 2022
as Self
2022
Hargrove
as Self
2022
Jacob Collier: In the Room Where It Happens
2022
That Click
as Self
2019
Buster Williams Bass to Infinity
as Himself
2019
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
as Self - Musician
2019
Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
as Self
2019
International Jazz Day Australia Concert 2019
as Self
2019
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
as Self
2018
It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story
as Self
2018
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
as Defence Minister
2017
Chick Corea: The Musician
as Self
2017
More Than Jazz
as Himself
2016
Jazz at the White House
as Self
2016
River of Gold
as Narrator
2016
Miles Ahead
as Live Concert Band
2016
Kareem: Minority of One
as Self
2015
Marcus
as Self
2015
Herbie Hancock Trio - Full Concert - 08/14/88 - Newport Jazz Festival
as Self
2014
Charles Lloyd - Arrows Into Infinity
as Piano
2014
Keep On Keepin' On
as Self
2014
Experience Montreux
as Self
2013
Lang Lang & Herbie Hancock - Live in Berlin
as Himself
2012
Gustavo Dudamel and Herbie Hancock Celebrate Gershwin
2011
The Girls in the Band
2011
A Man's Story
as Self
2011
All-Star Jazz Show: Live from The Ed Sullivan Theater
as Self
2011
Miles Davis: Around Midnight
as Piano
2011
Tribute to Miles - Jazz à Vienne
as Himself
2011
A MusiCares Tribute To Barbra Streisand
as Performer
2011
On the Shoulders of Giants
2011
Music
as Self
2010
DeJohnette, Metheny, Holland, Hancock - Parallel Realities Live
as Himself
2010
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
as Self
2009
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
as Self
2008
Quincy Jones : 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux
as Self
2008
Herbie Hancock - The River Of Possibilities Tour - Jazz a Vienne
as Piano
2008
Quincy Jones: Breaking New Sound
as Self
2008
Marcus Miller - Master Of All Trades
as Self
2006
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
as Self
2006
