Herbie Hancock

Biography

Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet", Hancock helped 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. Hancock's 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 the styles of 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". 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. As a member of Soka Gakkai, Hancock is an adherent of the Nichiren school of Mahayana Buddhism.

Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Saturday Night Live

Great Performances

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Tuner

Girl Meets World

All Movies (85)

• Tuner2026 · as Herbie Hancock
• Herbie2025 · as Self (Archives)
• Henry Mancini: 100 at the Hollywood Bowl2024 · as Self
• Don Lewis and The Live Electronic Orchestra2024 · as Self
• They All Came Out to Montreux2023 · as Self
• Joni Mitchell - The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song2023 · as Self
• Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes2022 · as Self
• Herbie Hancock - Live at SummerStage 20222022 · as Self
• Hargrove2022 · as Self
• Jacob Collier: In the Room Where It Happens2022
• That Click2019 · as Self
• Buster Williams Bass to Infinity2019 · as Himself
• Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool2019 · as Self - Musician
• Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes2019 · as Self
• International Jazz Day Australia Concert 20192019 · as Self
• Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones2018 · as Self
• It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story2018 · as Self
• Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets2017 · as Defence Minister
• Chick Corea: The Musician2017 · as Self
• More Than Jazz2016 · as Himself
• Jazz at the White House2016 · as Self
• River of Gold2016 · as Narrator
• Miles Ahead2016 · as Live Concert Band
• Kareem: Minority of One2015 · as Self
• Marcus2015 · as Self
• Herbie Hancock Trio - Full Concert - 08/14/88 - Newport Jazz Festival2014 · as Self
• Charles Lloyd - Arrows Into Infinity2014 · as Piano
• Keep On Keepin' On2014 · as Self
• Experience Montreux2013 · as Self
• Lang Lang & Herbie Hancock - Live in Berlin2012 · as Himself
• Gustavo Dudamel and Herbie Hancock Celebrate Gershwin2011
• The Girls in the Band2011
• A Man's Story2011 · as Self
• All-Star Jazz Show: Live from The Ed Sullivan Theater2011 · as Self
• Miles Davis: Around Midnight2011 · as Piano
• Tribute to Miles - Jazz à Vienne2011 · as Himself
• A MusiCares Tribute To Barbra Streisand2011 · as Self - Performer
• On the Shoulders of Giants2011
• Music2010 · as Self
• DeJohnette, Metheny, Holland, Hancock - Parallel Realities Live2010 · as Himself
• We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial2009 · as Self
• Miles Davis: Kind of Blue2008 · as Self
• Quincy Jones : 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux2008 · as Self
• Herbie Hancock - The River Of Possibilities Tour - Jazz a Vienne2008 · as Piano
• Quincy Jones: Breaking New Sound2008 · as Self
• Marcus Miller - Master Of All Trades2006 · as Self
• Herbie Hancock: Possibilities2006 · as Self
• Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue2004 · as Self
• Herbie Hancock Special2004
• Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments2004 · as Self
• One Night with Blue Note2004 · as Self
• Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux2004
• Larry presents: Best of The 80s2004 · as Self
• Prachtig 80: Volume 22003 · as Self
• Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind2003 · as Self
• Hitters2002 · as District Attorney
• World of Rhythm - Live in Lugano2002 · as Self
• The Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock2002 · as Himself
• Herbie Hancock Future2future Live2002 · as Himself
• Herbie Hancock: Jazz Channel2001 · as Herbie Hancock
• Blue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz1997 · as Self
• Wayne Shorter: Live at Montreux 19961996
• Antonio Carlos Jobim: An All-Star Tribute1995 · as Self - Pianist
• Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar1995 · as Self
• Indecent Proposal1993 · as Himself
• The Neville Brothers: Tell It Like It Is1991
• Miles Davis - At La Villette1991 · as Himself
• Branford Marsalis: Steep1991 · as Self
• Dejohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny in Concert1990
• Jazz Under the Skies1990 · as Self
• Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland: Parallel Realities Live... (Live at Mellon Jazz Festival)1990 · as Keyboards
• Celebrity Guide to Wine1990 · as Self
• Live at Munich Summer Piano Festiva1988
• Bobby McFerrin: Spontaneous Inventions1987 · as Himself
• Herbie Hancock At The Munich Summer Piano Festival1987 · as Himself
• Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis1986 · as Self
• 'Round Midnight1986 · as Eddie Wayne
• Before Midnight1986 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Making of Sun City1985 · as Self
• I Love Quincy1984 · as Self
• Herbie Hancock Trio: Hurricane!1984 · as Self - Piano
• PBS Soundstage 1974: Chick Corea & Return to Forever + Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters1974
• Miles Davis Quintet: Milan 19641964
• Herbie Hancock And The Rockit Band Live in London— · as Themself
• Herbie Hancock And The Rockit Band— · as Self

All TV Shows (16)

• By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem2020 · as Self
• Jay Leno's Garage2015 · as Self
• StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson2015 · as Self
• Girl Meets World2014 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
• Classic Albums1997 · as Self
• Kulturzeit1995 · as self
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992
• ECHO-Verleihung1992 · as Self
• Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Musical Guest
• Rock Concert1973 · as Self
• Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest1972 · as Self
• Great Performances1971 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Grammys1959 · as Self