Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
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4.4 • 9 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
The long-awaited memoir by one of the most influential and beloved musicians of our time
In Herbie Hancock the legendary jazz musician and composer reflects on a life and a thriving career that has spanned seven decades. A true innovator, Hancock has had an enormous influence on both acoustic and electric jazz, R&B and hip-hop, with his ongoing exploration of different musical genres, winning fourteen Grammy awards along the way.
From his beginnings as a child prodigy to his work in Miles Davis’s second great quintet; from his innovations as the leader of his own groundbreaking sextet to his collaborations with everyone from Wayne Shorter to Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder; Herbie Hancock reveals the method behind Hancock’s undeniable musical genius.
Hancock shares his musical influences, colorful behind-the-scenes stories, his long and happy marriage, and how Buddhism inspires him creatively and personally. Honest, enlightening, and as electrifyingly vital as the man who wrote it, Herbie Hancock promises to be an invaluable contribution to jazz literature and a must-read for fans and music lovers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Melodically weaving the notes of his personal life around his exploration of numerous music genres from classical and R&B to funk and hip-hop, renowned pianist Hancock elegantly composes a tuneful sound track of his life in music. While growing up on Chicago's South Side in the 1940s, Hancock started playing piano when he was seven; four years later, he'd won a music contest and played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Hancock's intense focus on the intricacies of music, and his steadfast drive to learn about all aspects of life, especially how things work, led him to take up jazz as a teenager and to study engineering briefly in college. Hancock takes us through the opus of his early days as a pianist with Donald Byrd, the composition of his first song, "Watermelon Man," and signing with Blue Note to record his first album, Takin' Off. Just 23, Hancock got a call from Miles Davis asking the young pianist to come play with him in what eventually grew into the Second Great Quintet. Five years later, Hancock left Davis to form his own band, the Herbie Hancock Sextet, launching a successful and widely varied solo career that included writing scores for movies like Round Midnight, Jo Jo Dancer, and Harlem Nights. Hancock's discovery and embrace of Buddhism opened his heart and mind to the myriad possibilities in life and music, and he reveals eloquently in this candid memoir that he continues to approach life in an improvisational style in which each moment is special and everything is always new.
Customer Reviews
Great read!
Herbie is a living legend and this book goes through his entire life/career until today. He was able to outline his fascinating career without boring the average reader with unnecessary detail. Legendary moments in Jazz, his career as a pianist and composer, his innovation in music technology, and his time in Hollywood writing scores are all brought to life in his well written stories. You also get the impression that Herbie is a really down to earth guy who has no problem discussing his faults. Any fan of Herbie Hancock will be more than satisfied reading this book.