Herbie Hancock is 81 years ago today.
A pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer, Hancock was part of Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet. He helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound.
Hancock was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace music synthesizers and funk music (characterized by syncopated drum beats). His 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 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."
Here, Hancock performs “Chameleon” in 1974