Home » Jazz Articles » Interview » Catching up with Herbie Hancock
Catching up with Herbie Hancock
Seldom has a musician been so closely associated with two separate musical genres as has pianist and composer Herbie Hancock. Originally introduced to the world as part of
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
Wayne Shorter
saxophone1933 - 2023
Tony Williams
drums1945 - 1997
Ron Carter
bassb.1937
Al Foster
drums1944 - 2025
Branford Marsalis
saxophoneb.1960
This is partly the seduction of improvised music at this level and partly the fact that its Hancock at the keys that makes it the very unique, powerful and soulful experience it always is. He has said before that, for him, to do only one type of music would be unsatisfying. The crux is really that Hancock does all that he attempts so well and with such attention to the inherent details of the particular form at hand that he often improves and adds to the vocabulary of the style itself. To see this very original, 'seeming' perfectionist play with a combined precision and loose abandon is to literally witness simultaneous left and right brainstorms. Apparently just business as usual for one with the talents and accomplishments of Hancock. Don't be fooled though, he just makes it look easy.
As an interview subject, Hancock develops his thoughts like his solos, thoughtfully, deliberately and with careful phrasing. It can be hard to tell what's planned from what's left to chance. All in all, pretty amazing for a guy who started with an electrical engineering background and found music in the process and who it seems has never looked back. His '96 release New Standards picks up Miles' cue to use pop tunes from various sources and eras as vehicles for jazz improvisation, personal expression and further extension of the jazz repertoire and just to remind us what's cool about both.
All About Jazz: Do you feel that there's much value in the college level music programs? Is there a real purpose in musicians making an effort to get to these schools or do you think there's better ways of getting their careers together?
Herbie Hancock: I've only gone to two colleges. Grinnell College and The Manhattan School of Music in New York, and I certainly got a lot out of it. Of course things changed a lot since I was at school. And from what I understand, the music department at Grinnell is so much better than when I was there. I mean, absolutely they are of value. Some are better than others.
AAJ: Is there a real purpose for musicians making the effort to get to these schools, or do you think there are better ways of getting their careers together?
HH: Oh, definitely there is a real purpose in trying to get to schools for studying music or whether its a Liberal Arts school or a music school. My feeling is that the more you learn the more you're able to draw from. There is no downside in going to school. There's just this old rumor that if you've kind of learned how to play music or play jazz for example, by ear, that it will take your soul away. That's an absolute lie (laughs). If you have soul, so to speak, nothing can take it away. You will make sure to protect that. Because that's so important to have feeling. That's most important.
AAJ: How would you tell a new sideman or student to be a better listener within an ensemble? What should they be listening for?
HH: That a part of the responsibility of being a human being, is to be able to work with people and interact with people. Just like in a conversation, if you're the kind of person who just dominates a conversation—doesn't listen to anybody else—, you probably won't have a lot of friends (laughs). It could conceivably indicate a serious weakness in your character. It may indicate that you don't respect others as much as you respect yourself. Its very important to respect others and by the same token, its very important to respect the other musicians. You can learn from the other musicians. If you don't listen, you can't learn anything, in life or in music.
AAJ: What should they be listening for?
HH: They should be listening for anything of value. They should listen to everything. They should be listening to any ideas, it may be an idea, that on the surface may sound like it isn't anything to respond to, but the more experience you get, the more you're able to to take almost nothing and make something out of it. Just remember, writing music, you start with nothing and create something out of nothing. The same thing can apply to playing with other musicians. They may make a mistake and you can take that mistake and turn it into something of great beauty. It will enhance your own playing to be able to work as a team, just as in sports, and basketball. To work as a team. As a team the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
AAJ: What would you say as far as events in your life or in your career that have had the greatest impact on your musical and personal life?
HH: In terms of anything? Buddhism. Well, first of all, my mother. My parents, particularly, my mother, because they were the ones to instill basis values in me. One of the most important things they provided me with was a sense of hope. That is something that has sustained me throughout my whole life and allowed me to have dreams and have the capacity to move forward in my life. The second thing was, being introduced to Buddhism which I've been practicing now for 26 years. I belong to a Buddhist organization called SGI. The real name is too long to pronounce. There have been so many benefits that I have gotten out of it, practicing Buddhism. It has really taught me to recognize the weaknesses of my own character so that I can work on them. It has really helped to clarify the events in my life, the things that have happened to me. And the things that I do. And it helped me to be able to recognize much more of a connection between things instead of their appearing to be separate from each other. So it has affected the decisions I've made and allowed me to have a much broader overview than I ever had before and than I would have had, had I not practiced Buddhism. There are other things— winning awards, opportunities and so forth—I believe have entered my life and in many cases due to the viewpoint that I have of the world which has been supported and affected by from the onstart by my parents, particularly, my mother, instilling many things, including hope, as I said before. And that I could achieve anything that I want. And also Buddhism has helped me to attract those kinds of opportunities and to be able to succeed in being able to satisfy what was required from those opportunities. And have those opportunities come in a way that allowed them to be stepping stones toward my career development.
AAJ: Who are some of your favorite present day influences and why?
HH:
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
Tony Williams
drums1945 - 1997
Ron Carter
bassb.1937
Wayne Shorter
saxophone1933 - 2023
From the kind of more funky side,
James Brown
vocals1933 - 2006
Stevie Wonder
vocalsb.1950
George Duke
piano1946 - 2013
Frank Sinatra
vocals1915 - 1998
Billie Holiday
vocals1915 - 1959
Sarah Vaughan
vocals1924 - 1990
Bud Powell
piano1924 - 1966
McCoy Tyner
piano1938 - 2020
Chick Corea
piano1941 - 2021
Keith Jarrett
pianob.1945
Bill Evans
piano1929 - 1980
Clare Fischer
piano1928 - 2012
AAJ: When did you know that you'd really found your own sound—when were you sure of that?
HH: I would say I became aware of my individuality expressed as my own sound; my own approach—improvising—somewhere in the mid-'60s. There isn't a point, anything like a pinpoint, it's something that developed gradually. I first became aware that I might have an individual sound in the mid-60's and that realization kind of grew the more experience I got.
AAJ: You were on
Wynton Marsalis
trumpetb.1961
HH: Wynton is a very, very challenging musician and he showed that talent at a very young age. He showed maturity in his sound and his music at a very young age, which is why I took him on the road to Europe to play with a group that I led called VSOP II, a quartet with myself, Ron Carter on bass, Tony Williams on drums. We were all the old, kind of seasoned musicians and Wynton was only about 19 and he was able to rise to the occasion and make the music happen.
AAJ: The VSOP release put you back with Miles Davis' rhythm section ('63-'68) of which your were a part. How was it different to get back with those players without Miles at the helm?
HH: Actually, I don't look at it that way. We have a definite, almost "family "connection. They're part of my musical family. We were basically in our twenties when we played with Miles, except for Tony Williams—he was 17—and we all have a connection. During those years, those were our very formative years, when we began to develop our own thing , so to speak, during the time that we were with Miles and that created a bond that we all have. Now, Tony Williams passed away last year, so he's no longer with us, but the bond is indescribable as something that we all just trust and doesn't require anything. Something that's solid like concrete. So, when I get together with these guys I'm playing with whoever's there. I'm not conscious of Miles not being there, I don't think that way. I think I'm there with Ron Carter and Tony Williams—when he was alive—and Wayne Shorter, and we did a tour, by the way called 'Tribute to Miles' and
Wallace Roney
trumpet1960 - 2020
AAJ: I understand there is a new CD of Gershwin's music coming out. Can you talk about that a bit?
HH: It's arguably one of the best things that I think I've ever done. Had the great support of a lot of people who I admire, like Stevie Wonder, who sings 'St. Louis Blues.'
Joni Mitchell
vocalsb.1943
Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974
James P. Johnson
piano1894 - 1955
Eddie Henderson
trumpetb.1940
Kenny Garrett
saxophone, altob.1960
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Interview
Herbie Hancock
Michael Ricci
Miles Davis
Wayne Shorter
Tony Williams
Ron Carter
Al Foster
Branford Marsalis
James Brown
Stevie Wonder
George Duke
frank sinatra
Billie Holiday
Bud Powell
McCoy Tyner
Chick Corea
Keith Jarrett
Bill Evans
wynton marsalis
Wallace Roney
duke ellington
James P. Johnson
Eddie Henderson
Kenny Garrett
Sarah Vaughan
Clare Fischer
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