Herbie Hancock

E.S.P.

Miles Davis · 1965

Miles Smiles

Miles Davis · 1967

The Second Great Quintet of 1964–68. Each member had independent careers, but together they fundamentally reinvented how jazz treated time.

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis · 1970

In a Silent Way

Miles Davis · 1969

Miles's 1969–70 studio experiments fused rock's rhythmic sensibility with jazz improvisation. Bitches BrewBitches BrewMiles Davis · 1970 layered McLaughlinJohn McLaughlinジョン・マクラフリン, CoreaChick Coreaチック・コリア, HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック, and others in simultaneous collective improvisation.

Speak No Evil

Wayne Shorter · 1966

Night Dreamer

Wayne Shorter · 1964

The 1964–66 Blue Note period was when Wayne ShorterWayne Shorterウェイン・ショーター's compositional voice matured rapidly. On Night DreamerNight DreamerWayne Shorter · 1964 and Speak No EvilSpeak No EvilWayne Shorter · 1966 he established his signature 'mysterious beauty' language. Lee MorganLee Morganリー・モーガン, McCoy TynerMcCoy Tynerマッコイ・タイナー, and Elvin JonesElvin Jonesエルヴィン・ジョーンズ brought it to life.

October 1967, Stockholm. One of the very few proper video documents of the Second Great Quintet. 'Agitation,' 'Footprints,' and ''Round Midnight' bleed into each other, and you can literally see how the four of them collectively own the time.

— Miles Davis Quintet — Stockholm 1967, 1967

Speak No Evil

Wayne Shorter · 1966

Speak No EvilSpeak No EvilWayne Shorter · 1966 (December 1964) is widely cited as Wayne ShorterWayne Shorterウェイン・ショーター's Blue Note masterpiece. Freddie HubbardFreddie Hubbardフレディ・ハバード in the front line, three Second Great Quintet members (Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック, Ron CarterRon Carterロン・カーター), plus Elvin JonesElvin Jonesエルヴィン・ジョーンズ — a dream lineup.

— Footprints: The Life and Work of Wayne Shorter, Michelle Mercer, 2004

Future Shock

Herbie Hancock · 1983

Rockit

Herbie Hancock · 1983

Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック's biggest hit wasn't his work with Miles Davis or Head Hunters — it was 'Rockit' (1983), an electro track featuring turntable scratching by GrandMixer DXT. It became one of MTV's most-played videos and won a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. A jazz pianist delivered hip-hop culture to mainstream America.

— How Herbie Hancock's 'Rockit' changed everything — The Guardian

Leon ChanclerNdugu Chanclerンドゥグ・チャンクラー joined Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック's avant-garde Mwandishi band in 1971. Percussionist James Mtume assigned Swahili names to each member based on their personalities — Chancler received 'Ndugu' (brother). Hancock became 'Mwandishi' (composer), Billy Hart became 'Jabali' (rock), Eddie Henderson became 'Mganga' (doctor). Chancler loved the name and used it for the rest of his career.

— Leon 'Ndugu' Chancler — Percussive Arts Society

'Miles taught me how to turn a mistake into an opportunity'

During his time with the Miles Davis Quintet (1963–68). Based on the well-known episode where Miles turned Herbie's 'wrong' chord into part of the music.

Possibilities

2014

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"Miles told us: there are no wrong notes. It's what you do with them next that matters."

Hancock recalled this lesson from the Second Great Quintet years in his memoir.

Possibilities

2014

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Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock · 1973

The early-70s Mwandishi band was commercially unsuccessful but laid the groundwork for the Headhunters pivot.

— Head Hunters at 50: How Herbie Hancock Cut Loose and Made One of the Greatest Albums of All Time, Hollywood Bowl, 2023

Directions in Music

Herbie Hancock · 2002

Directions in Music (2001) was Hancock's tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Placing HargroveRoy Hargroveロイ・ハーグローブ — from the trumpet lineage — alongside Brecker, who had redefined the post-bop saxophone sound, was deliberate. Intergenerational transmission was the album's real subject.

Free for All

Art Blakey · 1964

Hub-Tones

Freddie Hubbard · 1962

Reggie WorkmanReggie Workmanレジー・ワークマン was one of John ColtraneJohn Coltraneジョン・コルトレーン's bassists in the early 1961 sessions before Jimmy GarrisonJimmy Garrisonジミー・ギャリソン became the permanent member. He continued recording with Wayne ShorterWayne Shorterウェイン・ショーター and Art BlakeyArt Blakeyアート・ブレイキー, remaining at the forefront of the avant-garde. On Hub-TonesHub-TonesFreddie Hubbard · 1962 he appeared alongside a young Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック.

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock · 1973

1974, Radio Bremen's Musikladen studio. 'Chameleon' from Herbie's Headhunters era — fully stepped away from acoustic jazz, with funk groove as the new center of gravity.

— Herbie Hancock & Headhunters — Bremen 1974, 1974

July 9, 1990, Jazz à Vienne. The Parallel Realities tour — Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック (piano), Pat MethenyPat Methenyパット・メセニー (guitar), Jack DeJohnetteJack DeJohnetteジャック・ディジョネット (drums), Dave HollandDave Hollandデイヴ・ホランド (bass). A miraculous meeting of four musicians each at a peak in their careers.

— Jazz à Vienne, 1990

E.S.P.

Miles Davis · 1965

E.S.P.E.S.P.Miles Davis · 1965 (1965) was the first studio album by Miles DavisMiles Davisマイルス・デイヴィス's Second Great Quintet. Wayne ShorterWayne Shorterウェイン・ショーター emerged as music director, presenting a new compositional vocabulary on "Iris," "ESP," and others.

— So What: The Life of Miles Davis, John Szwed, 2002

Nefertiti

Miles Davis · 1968

On the title track of NefertitiNefertitiMiles Davis · 1968 (1967), the Miles DavisMiles Davisマイルス・デイヴィス/Wayne ShorterWayne Shorterウェイン・ショーター front line repeats a single melody while the rhythm section improvises around them — an inverted approach that was avant-garde for its time.

— Footprints: The Life and Work of Wayne Shorter, Michelle Mercer, 2004

Empyrean Isles

Herbie Hancock · 1964

Empyrean IslesEmpyrean IslesHerbie Hancock · 1964 (1964) was Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック's fourth Blue Note album, made at 25. Its "Cantaloupe Island" later became the basis for US3's sampling hit, spreading the tune well beyond the jazz canon.

— Blue Note Records: The Biography, Richard Cook, 2003

"Rockit" (1983) became Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック's MTV-era hit, exporting breakdancing and turntable scratching from jazz to global audiences. It won the Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.

— Possibilities, Herbie Hancock, 2014

Empyrean Isles

Herbie Hancock · 1964

Maiden Voyage

Herbie Hancock · 1965

Freddie HubbardFreddie Hubbardフレディ・ハバード was the sole horn on Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック's masterpieces Empyrean IslesEmpyrean IslesHerbie Hancock · 1964 (1964) and Maiden VoyageMaiden VoyageHerbie Hancock · 1965 (1965). His piercing tone and lyrical solos became signatures of Hancock's modal work.

— Blue Note Records: The Biography, Richard Cook, 2003

On 1968's Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, Chick CoreaChick Coreaチック・コリア led Miroslav Vitous and Roy Haynes through a trio language that bounced where Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック and Keith JarrettKeith Jarrettキース・ジャレット floated.

— Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, Wikipedia, 2024

Lionel LouekeLionel Louekeリオーネル・ルエケ, originally from Benin, has played in Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック's groups since 2005, fusing West African rhythms with modern jazz guitar. His distinctive percussive clicks and harmonic-rich picking brought new timbres to jazz guitar.

— Possibilities, Herbie Hancock, 2014

"There are no wrong notes. It's what you do with them next that matters." Herbie HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック learned this from Miles DavisMiles Davisマイルス・デイヴィス in the Second Great Quintet. When Hancock played a 'wrong' chord, Miles turned it into part of the music.

— Statement stmt-hancock-improvisation

"There are no wrong notes. It's what you do with them next." — HancockHerbie Hancockハービー・ハンコック recalled this lesson from MilesMiles Davisマイルス・デイヴィス's Second Great Quintet in his memoir.

— Statement stmt-hancock-improvisation

Live-Evil

Miles Davis · 1971

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis · 1970

In a Silent Way

Miles Davis · 1969

Struck By Lightning

Airto Moreira · 1989

The call came not from Herbie himself but from Tony Williams: Miles Davis wanted Chick Corea in Baltimore in 1968 because Herbie Hancock couldn't make the date. Corea's seat at the piano began as a one-night fill-in — and became the core of Miles's electric period.

— Statement stmt-chick-corea-on-miles-davis-2

Jaco Pastorius

Jaco Pastorius · 1976

Directions in Music

Herbie Hancock · 2002

Morning Sun

Alphonse Mouzon · 1981

Distant Lover

Alphonse Mouzon · 1982

Pilgrimage (2007) was the last album Brecker recorded, in the year he died, with Herbie Hancock on piano. Of a record made at the edge of death, Hancock said: 'That record is alive—one hundred percent, more than alive, Michael Brecker.' The final document was the most alive.

— Statement stmt-herbie-hancock-on-michael-brecker

Deciphering the Message

Makaya McCraven · 2021

Search for the New Land

Lee Morgan · 1964

Takin' Off

Herbie Hancock · 1962

Free Form

Donald Byrd · 1966

The funky feel of 'Watermelon Man' on Herbie Hancock's 1962 debut Takin' Off came from drummer Billy Higgins, who landed his stroke right between straight eighths and swung triplets. The tune would soon travel far.

— Statement stmt-herbie-hancock-on-billy-higgins

Live-Evil

Miles Davis · 1971

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis · 1970

Black Is The Color

Joe Henderson · 1972

Tales from the Hudson

Michael Brecker · 1996

Don Alias was brought to Bitches Brew (1970) as a percussionist, but on "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" he is the one at the drum kit — the New Orleans-flavored beat was his idea, and the leader told him to play it himself.

— Statement stmt-jack-dejohnette-on-don-alias

That record is alive, a hundred percent or more alive Michael Brecker.

Hancock on what Brecker left on the posthumously released album Pilgrimage.

Billy had this way of playing that fell somewhere between straight eighth notes and the swinging triplets of jazz, and he gave the song a great funky-jazz flavor.

Recalling the 1962 recording of "Watermelon Man" for his debut LP Takin' Off.

uDiscover Music

'Watermelon Man': Herbie Hancock's Timeless Jazz Groove

2026-05-01

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Wayne was a very quiet person, but he wrote great lines and had a great sense of harmonic direction. And Herbie was starting to explore not so much new chord voicings, but places to play these new sounds.

Recalling his bandmates during his 1960s tenure in the Miles Davis Quintet.

NPR Fresh Air

Jazz Bassist Ron Carter

2003-08-22

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We also played together on Herbie's New Standards, that was a great recording which featured Michael Brecker, John Scofield, Dave Holland, myself and Don Alias.

Listing his work with percussionist Don Alias, including Herbie Hancock's The New Standard (1995).

Tony was the one who called me up for the gig. He said, "Miles wants you to come to Baltimore. Herbie can't make it."

Corea recalls how Tony Williams's phone call brought him into Miles Davis's band, replacing Herbie Hancock.