Herbie Hancock Quintet

Biography

Herbert Jeffrey 'Herbie' Hancock, born April 12, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, was a child piano prodigy who performed a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 11. After graduating from Grinnell College in 1960, he joined trumpeter Donald Byrd's group, which led to his signing with Blue Note Records. His 1963 debut album Takin' Off was an immediate success, featuring the hit 'Watermelon Man.' In 1963, Miles Davis personally invited Hancock to join his Second Great Quintet alongside Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams, where he helped redefine jazz rhythm sections and contributed to classics like ESP, Nefertiti, and Sorcerer over five years.[1][2][3][4]

Fun Facts

• Hancock composed the score for Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film Blow-Up, launching his career in film and TV music.
• Head Hunters (1973) was the first jazz album to achieve platinum status, with its single 'Chameleon' crossing over to pop audiences.
• In 1983, 'Rockit' from Future Shock won a Grammy and its video took five MTV awards, marking a major hip-hop and electro influence.
• Hancock formed his first band while still a high school student in Chicago.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Donald Byrd - Discovered Hancock at age 20 and invited him to join his group, introducing him to Blue Note Records (Session work with Byrd, debut album Takin' Off) [1960-1963]
• Miles Davis - Personally recruited Hancock for his Second Great Quintet, shaping his post-bop style (ESP, Nefertiti, Sorcerer, In a Silent Way) [1963-1968]

Key Collaborators

• Wayne Shorter - Tenor saxophonist in Miles Davis Quintet and later projects (Miles Davis Quintet albums (ESP, Nefertiti), Gershwin’s World) [1963-1968, 1990s]
• Ron Carter - Bassist in Miles Davis Quintet (Miles Davis Quintet albums (ESP, Miles Smiles)) [1963-1968]
• Tony Williams - Drummer in Miles Davis Quintet (Miles Davis Quintet albums (Nefertiti, Sorcerer)) [1963-1968]
• Bennie Maupin - Retained from sextet for Headhunters band (Head Hunters (1973)) [1973]
• Paul Jackson - Bassist in Headhunters (Head Hunters (1973)) [1973]
• Bill Summers - Percussionist in Headhunters (Head Hunters (1973)) [1973]
• Harvey Mason - Drummer in Headhunters (Head Hunters (1973)) [1973]
• Wynton Marsalis - Produced debut album and toured as bandleader (Wynton Marsalis debut album) [1980]
• Bill Laswell - Producer for electro-funk albums (Future Shock (1983), Sound System) [1983-1984]

Artists Influenced

• Wynton Marsalis - Introduced to the world as solo artist by Hancock, who produced his debut (Wynton Marsalis debut album) [1980]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia