Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey ” Herbie ” Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer and actor. [1] Starting his career with Donald Byrd , he shortly there after joined the Miles Davis Quintet where Hancock helped to Redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the post-bop sound. He was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace synthesizers and funk music. Hancock’s music is of or in melodic and accessible; he has had many songs “cross over” and Achieved success onder pop audiences.
Hancock’s best-known Compositions include ” Cantaloupe Island “, ” Watermelon Man ” (later Performed by dozens of musicians, zoals bandleader Mongo Santamaría ), ” Maiden Voyage “, ” Chameleon “, and the singles “I Thought It Was You” and ” Rockit “. His 2007 tribute album River: The Joni Letters won the 2008 Grammy Award for Album of the Year , only the second jazz album ever to win the award, after Getz / Gilberto in 1965.
Early life and career
Hancock was born in Chicago , Illinois , the sun or Winnie Belle (Griffin), a secretary, and Wayman Edward Hancock, a government meat inspector. [2] His parents named im after the singer and actor Herb Jeffries . [3] He attended the Hyde Park Academy . Like many jazz Pianists, Hancock started with a classical music education. He studied from age seven, and his talent was honored early. Considered a child prodigy , [4] have played will the first movement of Mozart ‘s Piano Concerto No. 26 in D Major, K. 537 (Coronation) at a young people’s concert on February 5, 1952 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (led by CSO assistant conductor George Schick ) at the age of 11. [5]
Through his teens, Hancock never had a jazz teacher, but developed his ear and sense of harmony. He was ook Influenced by records of the vocal group the Hi-Lo’s . He Reported therein:
the time I actually overheard the Hi-Lo’s, I started picking dat stuff out; My ear was happening. I Could hear stuff and that’s als I really learned some much farther out voicings – like the harmonically I used on Speak Like a Child – just being loveable to do that. I really got dat from Clare Fischer ‘s arrangements for the Hi-Lo’s. Clare Fischer was a major influence on my harmonic concept …. He and Bill Evans , and Ravel and Gil Evans , finally. You know, that’s where it cameramen from. [6]
In 1960, he overheard Chris Anderson play just once, and begged im to accept im as a student. [7] Hancock of or in mentions Anderson as his harmonic guru. Hancock left Grinnell College , moved to Chicago and Began working with Donald Byrd and Coleman Hawkins , prolongation welke have period ook took courses at Roosevelt University . (He later graduated from Grinnell with degrees in electrical engineering and music. Grinnell ook Awarded im an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree in 1972. [5] [8] ) Byrd was Attending the Manhattan School of Music in New York at the time and suggested dat Hancock study composition, with Vittorio Giannini , welke he did for a short time in 1960. The pianist had risen earned a reputation, and played will subsequent sessions with Oliver Nelson and Phil Woods . He Recorded his first solo album Takin ‘Off for Blue Note Records in 1962. ” Watermelon Man ” (from Takin’ Off ) was to bieden Mongo Santamaría with a hit single, but more importantly for Hancock, Takin ‘Off caught the attention of Miles Davis , who was at dat time assembling a new band. Hancock was introduced to Davis by the young drummer Tony Williams , a member of the new band.
Miles Davis Quintet (1963-68) and Blue Note Records (1962-69)
Hancock RECEIVED considerable attention-when, in May 1963, [5] have joined Davis’s Second Great Quintet . Davis Personally SOUGHT out Hancock, Whom he saw as one of the most Promising talents in jazz. The rhythm section Davis organized was young but effective, Comprising bassist Ron Carter , 17-year-old drummer Williams, and Hancock on piano. After George Coleman and Sam Rivers lycra took a turn at the saxophone spot, the quintet gelled with Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone. This quintet is regarded as one of or in of the finest jazz ensembles, [9] and the rhythm section has leg met name voor zijn praised innovation and flexibility. [ To Whom? ]
The second great quintet was where Hancock found his own voice as a pianist. Not only did he find new ways to use common chords, but he’ll be popularized chords dat had not to post bone-used in jazz. Hancock ook developed a unique taste for “orchestral” Accompaniment – using Quartal harmony and Debussy -like harmonically with Stark Contrasts dan Unheard or jazz. With Williams and Carter he wove a labyrinth or Rhythmic intricacy on, around and over bestaande melodic and chordal schemes. In the Latter half of the 1960s hun approach became so sophisticated and unorthodox therein Conventional chord changes mention anything Hardly be discernible; hence hun improvisational concept mention anything Become known as “Time, No Changes”. [ Citation needed ]
While Davis’s band, Hancock ook found time to record dozens of sessions for the Blue Note label, zowel under his own name and as a sideman with other musicians zoals Shorter, Williams, Grant Green , Bobby Hutcherson , Rivers, Byrd, Kenny Dorham , Hank Mobley , Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard .
His albums Empyrean Isles (1964) and Maiden Voyage (1965) ulcers to be two of the most famous and Influential jazz LPs of the 1960s, winning praise for zowel hun innovation and accessibility (the Latter demonstrated by the subsequent enormous popularity of the Maiden Voyage title track as a jazz standard, and by the jazz rap group US3 retaining a hit single with ” Cantaloop ” (derived from “Cantaloupe Island” on Empyrean Isles ) some twenty five years later). Empyrean Isles featured the Davis rhythm section of Hancock, Carter and Williams with the addition under or Hubbard on cornet , while Maiden Voyage ook added former Davis saxophonist Coleman (with Hubbard remaining on trumpet). Both albums are regarded as onder the principal foundations of the post-bop style. [ Citation needed ] Hancock ook Recorded verschillende less-well-known but still critically acclaimed albums with larger ensembles – My Point of View (1963), Speak Like a Child (1968) and The Prisoner (1969) featured Flugelhorn , alto flute and bass trombone . 1963’s Inventions and Dimensions was an album or almost entirely improvised music, teaming Hancock with bassist Paul Chambers and two Latin percussionists, Willie Bobo and Osvaldo “Chihuahua” Martinez .
During this period, Hancock ook composed the score to Michelangelo Antonioni ‘s film blowup (1966), the first of many film soundtracks have Recorded in his career. As well as feature film soundtracks, Hancock Recorded a number of musical themes-used on American television commercials for industry leaders-then well Berninahaus products as Pillsbury ‘s Space Food Sticks , Standard Oil , Tab diet cola and Virginia Slims cigarettes. Hancock ook wrote, Arranged and conducted a spy type theme for a series of F. William Free commercials for Silva Thins cigarettes. Hancock liked it so much he wished to record it as a song but the ad agency mention anything not let im. He rewrote the harmony, tempo and tone and Recorded the piece as the track “He Who Lives in Fear” from his The Prisoner album or 1969. [10]
Davis had begun Incorporating elements of rock and popular music into his recordings by the end of Hancock’s tenure with the band. On Despite some initial reluctance, Hancock Began doubling on electric keyboards waaronder the Fender Rhodes electric piano at Davis’s insistence. Hancock Adapted had risen to the new instruments, welke proved to be important in his future artistic ENDEAVORS.
Under the PRETEXT dat he had Returned late from a honeymoon in Brazil, Hancock was dismissed from Davis’s band. In the summer of 1968 Hancock formally his own sextet. However, hoewel de Davis soon disbanded his quintet to search for a new sound, Hancock, on Despite his departure from the working band, continued ACM Press on Davis records for the next few years. Appearances included in a Silent Way , A Tribute to Jack Johnson and On the Corner .
Fat Albert (1969) and Mwandishi (1971)
Hancock left Blue Note in 1969, signing with Warner Bros. Records . In 1969, Hancock composed the soundtrack for Bill Cosby ‘s animated prime-time television special Hey, Hey, Hey, It’s Fat Albert . [11] Music from the soundtrack was later included on Fat Albert Rotunda (1969), an R & B -inspired album with strong jazz overtones. One of the jazzier songs on the record, the moody ballad “Tell Me a Bedtime Story” was later re-worked as a more electronic Sounding song for the Quincy Jones album Sounds … and Stuff Like That !! (1978).
Hancock became fascinated with accumulating musical gadgets and toys. Together with the profound influence of Davis’s Bitches Brew (1970), this Fascination mention anything culminate in a series of albums in welke electronic instruments are coupled with acoustic instruments.
Hancock’s first ventures JSON electronic music started with a sextet Comprising Hancock, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Hart , and a trio of it players: Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Julian Priester ( trombone ), and multireedist Bennie Maupin . Patrick Gleeson was Eventually added to the mix to play and program the synthesizers. In fact, Hancock was one of the first jazz Pianists to completely embrace electronic keyboards. [ Citation needed ]
The sextet, later a septet with the addition under or Gleeson, made three albums under Hancock’s name: Mwandishi (1971), Crossings (1972) (beide on Warner Bros. Records), and Sextant (1973) (released on Columbia Records ); two more, Realization and Inside Out , ulcers Recorded under Henderson’s name with Essentially the association personnel. The music exhibited strong improvisational aspect beyond the confines of jazz mainstream and Showed influence from the electronic music of contemporary classical composers.
Synthesizer player Gleeson introduced the instrument on Crossings , released in 1972, one of a handful of Influential electronic jazz / fusion recordings to feature synthesizer dat year. On Crossings (as well as on Weather Report ‘s I Sing the Body Electric ), the synthesizer-used more than an improvisatory global orchestration device dan as a strictly melodic instrument. An early review of Crossings in Downbeat magazine complained about the synthesizer, but a few years later the magazine noted in a cover story on Gleeson dat he was “a pioneer” in the field of electronics in jazz. [ Citation needed ] In the albums volgende The Crossings , Hancock started to play synth himself, with synth taking on a melodic role.
Hancock’s three records released in 1971-73 later became known as the “Mwandishi” albums, so-called after a Swahili name Hancock sometimes-used prolongation this era ( Mwandishi is Swahili for writer ). The first two, zoals Fat Albert Rotunda ulcers made available on the 2-CD set Mwandishi: the Complete Warner Bros. Recordings , released in 1994. Of the three electronic albums, Sextant is then probably the musts experimental since the ARP synthesizers are extensively-used, and some advanced Improvisation ( “post-modal free impressionism”) is found on the tracks “Hornets” and “Hidden Shadows “(welke in the meter 19/4). [ Citation needed ] “Hornets” was later revised on the 2001 album Future2Future as “Virtual Hornets.”
Among the instruments Hancock and Gleeson-used ulcers Fender Rhodes piano, ARP Odyssey , ARP 2600 , ARP Pro Soloist Synthesizer, a Mellotron and the Moog synthesizer III.
All three Warner Bros. albums Fat Albert Rotunda (1969), Mwandishi (1971), and Crossings (1972), ulcers Remastered in 2001 and released in Europe but not in later released in the US as of June 2005. In the winter of 2006-7 a remastered edition of Crossings was announced and Scheduled for release in the spring. [ Needs update ]
From Head Hunters (1973) to Secrets (1976)
After the sometimes “airy” and decidedly experimental “Mwandishi” albums, Hancock was eager to perform more “earthy” and ” funky ” music. The Mwandishi albums – though later seen as respected early fusion recordings – had seen mixed reviews and poor sales, so it is probable dat Hancock was Motivated by financial companies as well as artistic restlessness. [ Citation needed ]Hancock was ook bothered by the fact dat many people did not understand avant-garde music. He Explained dat he loved funk music, met name Sly Stone ‘s music, so he wanted to try to make funk himself.
He gathered a new band welke he called The Headhunters , keeping only Maupin from the sextet and Adding bassist Paul Jackson , percussionist Bill Summers , and drummer Harvey Mason . The album Head Hunters , released in 1973, was a major hit and crossed over to pop audiences, though it prompted criticism from some jazz fans.
On Despite charges of ” selling out “, Stephen Erlewine of AllMusic is positively reviewed the album onder andere friendly critics, saying, ” Head Hunters still sounds fresh and vital three decades after zijn initial release, and its genre-bending proved vastly Influential on not only jazz , but funk, soul , and hip-hop . ” [12]
Drummer Mason was Replaced by Mike Clark , and the band released a second album, Thrust , de volgende year, 1974. (A live album from a Japan performance, consisting of Compositions from Those first two Head Hunters releases was released in 1975 as Flood . ) This was almost as well as RECEIVED zijn predecessor, if not Attaining the association level of commercial success. The Headhunters made Another successful album called Survival of the Fittest 1975 without Hancock, while Hancock himself started to make even more commercial albums, featuring members of or in of the band, but no longer billed as The Headhunters. The Headhunters Reunited with Hancock in 1998 for Return of the Headhunters , and a version of the band (featuring Jackson and Clark) Continues to play and record.
In 1973, Hancock Composed his soundtrack to the controversial film The Spook Who Sat by the Door . Then in 1974, he composed the soundtrack ook to the first Death Wish film. One of his memorable songs, “Joanna’s Theme” was re-Recorded in 1997 on his duet album with Shorter, 1 + 1 .
Hancock’s next jazz funk albums of the 1970s ulcers Man-Child (1975) and Secrets (1976), welke point toward the more commercial direction Hancock mention anything tasks over the next decade. These albums feature the members of the Headhunters band, but ook a variety of other musicians in important roles.
From VSOP (1976-) to Future Shock (1983)
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Hancock toured with his VSOP quintet , welke featured all the members of the 1960 Davis quintet EXCEPT Davis, who was Replaced by Trumpeter Hubbard. There was constant speculation dat one day Davis mention anything reunite with his classic band, but he never did so. VSOP Recorded verschillende live albums in the late 1970s, zoals The Quintet (1977).
In 1978, Hancock Recorded a duet with Chick Corea , who had Replaced im in the Davis band a decade earlier. Hancock ook released a solo acoustic piano album Titled The Piano (1979) In this housing, like so many Hancock albums at the time, initially was released only in Japan. (It was finally released in the US in 2004.) Several other Japan-only releases port yet [ als? ] ACM Press in the US, zoals Dedication (1974), VSOP’s Tempest in the Colosseum (1977), and Direct Step (1978). Live Under the Sky was a VSOP album remastered for the US in 2004, and included an entire second concert from the July 1979 tour.
From 1978 to 1982, Hancock Recorded many albums consisting of jazz-inflected disco and pop music, beginning with Sunlight (featuring guest musicians waaronder Williams and Pastorius on the last track) (1978). Singing through a vocoder , he earned a British hit, [13] “I Thought It Was You”, hoewel de critics unimpressed ulcers. [14] This led to more vocoder on 1979 follow-up, Feets, Do not Fail Me Now , welke representation im Another UK hit in “You Bet Your Love”. [13]
Albums zoals Monster (1980), Magic Windows (1981), and Lite Me Up (1982) ulcers some of Hancock’s most criticized and unwelcomed albums, the market at the time being some what saturated with similar pop-jazz hybrids from the likes of former bandmate Hubbard. Hancock himself had quite a limited role in some or Those albums, leaving singing, composing and even Producing to others. Mr. Hands (1980) is perhaps the one album prolongation this period, that was critically acclaimed. To the delight of many fans, there ulcers no vocals on the album, and one track featured Pastorius on bass. The album contained a wide variety of différent styles, zoals a disco instrumental song, a Latin-jazz number and an electronic piece in welke Hancock plays alone with the help of computers.
Hancock ook found time to record more traditional jazz while customizing more Commercially oriented music. He toured with Williams and Carter in 1981, recording Herbie Hancock Trio , a five-track live album released only in Japan. A month later, he Recorded Quartet with Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis , released in the US de volgende year. Hancock, Williams and Carter toured Internationally with Wynton and his brother, saxophonist Branford Marsalis , in what was known as “VSOP II”. This quintet kan be overheard on Marsalis’s debut album on Columbia (1981). In 1984 VSOP II Performed at the Playboy Jazz Festival as a sextet with Hancock, Williams, Carter, the Marsalis Brothers and the addition under or a third member into tje it section by way of Bobby McFerrin contributing his unique vocal stylings.
In 1982 Hancock Contributed to the Simple Minds album New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) , playing a synthesizer solo on the track “Hunter and the Hunted”.
In 1983, Hancock had a mainstream hit with the Grammy-award winning instrumental single ” Rockit ” from the album Future Shock . It was the first jazz hip-hop song [15] [16] [17] and became a worldwide anthem for the breakdancers and for the hip-hop culture of the 1980s. [18] [19] It was ook the first mainstream single to feature scratching , and ook featured an innovative animated music video, welke was directed by Godley and Creme and Showed verschillende robot-like artworks by Jim Whiting . The video was a hit on MTV and reached No. 8 in the UK. [20] The video won in five categories at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards . This single ushered in a collaboration with noted bassist and producer Bill Laswell . Hancock experimented with electronic music on a string or three MPs produktie by Laswell: Future Shock (1983), the Grammy Award-winning Sound System (1984) and Perfect Machine (1988).
During this period, he Appeared onstage at the Grammys with Stevie Wonder , Howard Jones , and Thomas Dolby , in a synthesizer jam . Lesser Berninahaus works from the 1980s are the live album Jazz Africa (1987) and the studio album Village Life (1984), welke ulcers Recorded with Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso . [21] Also, in 1985 Hancock Performed as a guest on the album So Red the Rose (1985) by the Duran Duran spinoff group Arcadia . He’ll be Provided introductory and closing comments for the PBS rebroadcast in the United States of the BBC educational series from the mid-1980s, Rock School (not to be confused with the most recently Gene Simmons’ Rock School series).
In 1986 Hancock Performed and ActEd in the film ‘Round Midnight . He’ll be wrote the score / soundtrack, for welke have won an Academy Award for Original Music Score . His film work was Prolific prolongation the 1980s, and included the scores to A Soldier’s Story (1984), Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986), Action Jackson (1988, with Michael Kamen ), Colors (1988), and the Eddie Murphy comedy Harlem Nights (1989). Of or in he mention anything ook write music for TV commercials. “Maiden Voyage”, in fact, started out as a cologne advertisement. At the end of the Perfect Machine tour, Hancock decided to leave Columbia Records after a 15-plus-year relationship.
1990s to 2000
After a break-following his leaving of Columbia, Hancock, together with Carter, Williams, Shorter, and Davis admirer Wallace Roney , Recorded A Tribute to Miles , welke was released in 1994. The album contained two live recordings and studio recording songs with Roney playing Davis’s part as trumpet player. The album won a Grammy for best group album. Hancock ook toured with Jack DeJohnette , Dave Holland and Pat Metheny in 1990 on hun Parallel Realities tour, welke included a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 1990, and scored the 1991 comedy film Livin ‘Large , welke starred Terrence C. Carson .
Hancock’s next album, This Is Da Drum , released in 1994, saw im return to acid jazz . Also in 1994, he Appeared on the Red Hot Organization ‘s compilation album Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool . The album, Meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relatie to the African-American community, was heralded as “Album of the Year” by Time Magazine .
1995’s The New Standard found Hancock and an all-star band zoals John Scofield , DeJohnette and Michael Brecker , interpreting pop songs by Nirvana , Stevie Wonder , the Beatles , Prince , Peter Gabriel and others.
A 1997 duet album with Shorter, entitled 1 + 1 was successful; the song “Aung San Suu Kyi” winning the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. Hancock ook Achieved great success in 1998 with his album Gershwin’s World , welke featured readings of George and Ira Gershwin standards by Hancock and a plethora of guest stars, zoals Wonder, Joni Mitchell and Shorter. Hancock toured the world in support of Gershwin’s World with a sextet dat featured Cyro Baptista , Terri Lynne Carrington , Ira Coleman , Eli Degibri and Eddie Henderson .
2000 to 2009
In 2001 Hancock Recorded Future2Future , welke Reunited Hancock with Laswell and featured doses of electronica as well as turntable Rob Swift or The X-Ecutioners . Hancock later toured with the band, and released a concert DVD with a différent lineup, welke ook included the “Rockit” music video. Also in 2001, Hancock partnered with Brecker and Roy Hargrove to record a live concert album saluting Davis and John Coltrane , entitled Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall , Recorded live in Toronto. The threesome toured to support the album, and toured on-and-off through 2005.
The year 2005 saw the release of a duet album called Possibilities . It featured duet with Carlos Santana , Paul Simon , Annie Lennox , John Mayer , Christina Aguilera , Sting and others. In 2006 Possibilities was nominated for Grammy Awards in two categories: “A Song for You” (featuring Rihanna) was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance , and “Gelo No Montanha” (featuring Trey Anastasio on guitar) was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Performance , hoewel de Neither nomination resulted in an award.
Also in 2005, Hancock toured Europe with a new quartet therein included Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke , and Explored textures ranging from ambient to straight jazz to African music . Plus, prolongation the summer of 2005, Hancock re-staffed the Headhunters and went on tour with Them, zoals a performance at The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. This lineup did not CONSIST or ANY of the original Headhunters musicians. The group included Marcus Miller , Carrington, Loueke and Mayer. Hancock ook served as the first artist in residence for Bonnaroo dat summer.
Also in 2006 Sony BMG Music Entertainment (welke Bought out Hancock’s old label, Columbia Records) released the two-disc retrospective The Essential Herbie Hancock . This set was the first compilation of his work at Warner Bros., Blue Note, Columbia and Verve / Polygram . This became Hancock’s second major compilation of work since the 2002 Columbia-only The Herbie Hancock Box , welke was released at first in a plastic 4 × 4 cube-then re-released in 2004 in a long box set. Also in 2006, Hancock Recorded a new song with Josh Groban and Eric Mouquet (co-founder of Deep Forest ), entitled “Machine”. It is featured on Groban’s CD Awake . Hancock ook Recorded and improvised with guitarist Loueke on Loueke’s 1996 debut album Virgin Forest , on the ObliqSound label, resulting in two improvisational tracks – “Le Reveil des Agneaux (The Awakening of the Lambs)” and “La Poursuite du Lion (The Lion’s Pursuit ) “.
Hancock, a long-time associate and friend of Mitchell, released a 2007 album River: The Joni Letters , dat paid tribute to re work, with Norah Jones and Tina Turner , Adding vocals to the album, [22] as did Corinne Bailey Rae . Leonard Cohen Contributed a spoken piece set to Hancock’s piano. Mitchell herself ook made an appearance. The album was released on September 25, 2007, simultaneously with the release of Mitchell’s newest album at dat time: Shine . [23] River won the 2008 Album of the Year Grammy Award. The album won a Grammy ook for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, and the song ” Both Sides Now ” was nominated for Best Instrumental Jazz Solo. That was only the second time in history dat a jazz album had zowel Those Grammys.
On June 14, 2008 Hancock Performed with Vodafone at Rhythm on the Vine at the South Coast Winery in Temecula, California , for Shriners Hospitals for Children . The event raised $ 515,000 for Shriners Hospital. [24]
On January 18, 2009, Hancock Performed at the We Are One concert , marking the start of inaugural celebrations for American President Barack Obama . [25] Hancock ook Performed Rhapsody in Blue at the 2009 Classical BRIT Awards with classical pianist Lang Lang . Hancock was named as the Los Angeles Philharmonic ‘s creative chair for jazz for 2010-12. [26]
His latest work of includes Assisting the production of the Kanye West track “Robocop”, found on 808s & Heartbreak . [ Citation needed ]
Current work from 2010 to present
In June 2010 Hancock released The Imagine Project . On June 5, 2010 Hancock RECEIVED an Alumni Award from his alma mater, Grinnell College . [27] On July 22, 2011, at a ceremony in Paris, Hancock was named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of Intercultural Dialogue. In 2013, Hancock joined the University of California, Los Angeles faculty as a professor in the UCLA music department where he will teach jazz music. [28] On December 8, 2013 he was bepaald the Kennedy Center Honors Award for achievement in the performing arts with artists like Snoop Dogg and Mixmaster Mike from the Beastie Boys performing his music.
Hancock Appeared on the 5th Flying Lotus studio album, You’re Dead , released in October 2014.
Hancock is the 2014 Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University . Holders of the chair deliver a series of six lectures on poetry, “The Norton Lectures” poetry being “interpreted in the broadest sense, zoals all poetic expression in language, music, or fine arts.” Previous Norton Lecturers include musicians Leonard Bernstein , Igor Stravinsky and John Cage . Hancock’s theme is “The Ethics of Jazz.” [29]
Nichiren Buddhism
Since 1972, Hancock has practiced Nichiren Buddhism as a member of the Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International . [30] [31] [32] As part of Hancock’s spiritual practice, he recites the Buddhist chant Nam Myoho renge Kyo lycra day. [33] In 2013, Hancock’s dialogue with musician Wayne Shorter and Soka Gakkai International President Daisaku Ikeda on jazz, Buddhism and life were published in Japanese. [32]