There aren't many living luminary jazz musicians from the 20th century still touring and performing to contemporary audiences globally.
Herbie Hancock is one of last remaining American jazz legends from a bygone era who has never slowed down or diminished his pursuit of excellence.At 84, the iconic pianist and composer is still as enthusiastic as ever to play and perform his outstanding body of work, which has pushed the envelope of popular jazz music throughout many decades.
His first few solo albums in the '60s on Blue Note Records spawned jazz classics that appealed to a much broader audience such as 'Watermelon Man' and 'Cantaloupe Island', and more importantly 'Maiden Voyage' that has become one of the most recognisable jazz standards, deeply resonating with the cultural shifts of the 1960s and recorded whilst playing in Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet.
All this made him an acclaimed musician and in-demand session player before his 30th birthday. As many other musicians who played in Davis' band, Hancock became a prominent bandleader and spearheaded the jazz-rock fusion of the '70s with the innovative funk jazz fusion outfit The Headhunters.
Image © Daniel Boud
During the '80s, he went on to release several Grammy Award-winning solo albums, many which pioneered the use of drum machines, turntable scratching and sampling in the infancy of hip hop and electronic music, as well as releasing albums that were described as acid jazz in the '90s. His discography even extends to working on film scores and collaborating with world-class musicians such as Carlos Santana, Chick Corea and Stevie Wonder to name a few.
The last visit to Australia Herbie and his band made was for the 2019 Vivid Festival, and five years later, Herbie's current quintet returned to our shores to perform once again inside the beautiful Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House, selling out two nights in a row and even announcing a third night at the City Recital Hall.
The opening night performance on Friday (11 October) had an extra special surprise as Herbie and his band came onstage accompanied by his three-year-old grandson, Herbie asking him, in front of the audience, if he would like to play the piano to which the boy cutely replied with an enthusiastic yes. Herbie told his grandson he would play first and then he could follow and adorably admitted he was afraid to go before him.
Image © Daniel Boud
After such a heartfelt introduction, the quintet kicked off the evening with 'Overture', a long, spellbinding composition showcasing his band's virtuosity and their instinctive chemistry between each other.
This was not a jazz performance simply for a walk in the park, it felt remarkably heavy and kept building in intensity as the musicians lost themselves in space and time, getting deeper into their creative zones and collective sonic expression.
In additional to Herbie, the quintet consisted of trumpet player and keyboardist Terence Blanchard, bassist James Genus, guitarist Lionel Loueke and 26-year-old exceptional drummer Jaylen Petinaud.
The band's experience and youthfulness were clear and evident on the night, as even Herbie acknowledged Jaylen could also be his grandson and said his energetic drumming performance was the audience's fault as their engagement had made him so happy to play. Louke also stood out with his brilliant vocal scatting while playing soothing rhythmic guitar that infused jazz with West African influences, and using his guitar pedals to great effect resembling the sounds of pitch bending notes on a keyboard.
A cover of 'Footprints' by the late saxophonist, dear friend and long-time band mate Wayne Shorter was a wonderful tribute to another great jazz legend who passed away last year at the age of 89. This was followed by the supremely slick, funk jazz fusion composition 'Actual Proof', as Herbie oscillated between the grand piano and keyboard.
Each member of the band had their opportunity to do an extended solo, which the crowd received with excitement. Herbie's love for experimentation was on display later in the concert when using the vocoder to sing and acknowledge that we are all one family.
This was not only a concert of extraordinary instrumental jazz music, it was also a chance for Herbie to share and reflect on a lifetime of wisdom he has learned as a practising Buddhist.
He powerfully acknowledged that with every challenge there is in our lives, we have a choice in how we respond to it and used COVID-19 as an example of "turning poison into medicine". He also made the philosophical point stating: "What I am is a human being, what I do is play music," and how all human beings matter as we all have something important to offer.
Image © Daniel Boud
A Herbie Hancock concert would not be complete if he didn't turn to his weapon of choice, the keytar – a practical and aesthetically crafty instrument for any keyboard wizard who needs to stand, walk and jump around from time to time onstage.
Fittingly, he employed the instrument on an epic medley of some his most loved compositions in 'Hang Up Your Hang Ups', 'Rock It' and 'Spider', all while soloing his heart out and showing he still has a tremendous amount of soul at the age of 84.
A magical night of timeless music concluded with what is arguably one the funkiest basslines ever committed to a keyboard in the groundbreaking composition 'Chameleon', which had the entire Concert Hall audience standing and giving a huge round of applause.
Musicians jamming and having fun while performing live is the essence of jazz music, and Herbie and Louke had their moment as the two of them poured everything into their playing and showed the audience what it means for two great players to be in conversation, using their instruments to full prowess.
Everyone leaving the Opera House had something to smile about after witnessing musicians who have dedicated their long (and short) lives to maximising their craft.
Herbie Hancock is still executing his musical talents to a very high degree, and having begun playing piano at the age of seven, his unique talent has rewarded him a lifetime journey immersed in the joy of playing music that he keeps skilfully giving back to the world time after time.
