Herbie Hancock: Fusion of Jazz and Electronic

936 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What influenced the music of the classical era

Herbie Hancock (1940 – present)
Growing up during the beginnings of MTV exposed me to a lot of popular music and artists. Videos from artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna were a part of my daily life. There was one video that caught my attention because it did not look or sound like anything I had heard before. That video was of a song called “Rockit” by Herbie Hancock. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHhD4PD75zY
As I have grown older in years (and thankfully with the help of my husband’s vast music collection), I have come to learn more about Hancock’s musical life. His fusion of Jazz and Electronic music has influenced many in the music industry today.
Herbie Hancock was born in Chicago in 1940 and was considered to be a child piano prodigy. At the age of 11 he performed a Mozart Piano concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It was not until high school that he started to play Jazz. He was highly influenced by two other Jazz piano greats Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. Evan’s happens to be one of my favorites as well.
Besides his love of Jazz, he also developed a passion …show more content…

By the end of the 1970s he had 11 albums on the charts. The following sums up his contributions to music and influence in the 1980s. “In 1980, Herbie introduced the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to the world as a solo artist, producing his debut album and touring with him as well. In 1983, a new pull to the alternative side led Herbie to a series of collaborations with Bill Laswell. The first, 'Future Shock', again struck platinum, and the single "Rockit" rocked the dance and R&B charts, winning a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental. The video of the track won five MTV awards. 'Sound System', the follow-up, also received a Grammy in the R&B instrumental category.” (http://www.herbiehancock.com/home.php#aboutherbie.php). In the late 1980s he won an Oscar for composting the score to the film “Round

Show More
Related

  • Biography of Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington D.C. His mother Daisy, surrounded Edward with her very polite friends which taught him to have respect and manners for people. After a while his friends started beginning to notice his politeness and his dapper style and gave him the nickname “duke.” When Ellington was seven years old he started taking piano lessons and found his love for music, although his love for baseball was more potent at the time. Ellington recalls President Roosevelt coming by on his horse at times and watching the boys play baseball. Ellington wound up getting his first job selling peanuts at baseball games. While working at the Soda Jerk in the Poodle Café in the summer of 1914, Ellington wrote his first composition and called the piece “Soda Fountain Rag”, he created it by ear because he had not yet learned how to write or read the music. Ellington recalls playing the “Soda Fountain Rag” as a one-step, two-step, waltz tango and fox trait, he said, “listeners never knew it was the same piece. I was established as having my own repertoire.” In Ellington’s autobiography, Music is my Mistress (1973), Ellington wrote about missing more piano lessons than he had attended because he felt that at the time playing piano wasn’t his talent and that he wasn’t very good at it. At the age of fourteen Ellington started sneaking into Frank Holiday's Poolroom. After hearing the poolro...

    Read More

  • Jelly Roll Morton, a Brief Biography

    1460 Words  | 3 Pages

    Though Jelly Roll Morton began his career without formal training, he grew to live an influential life. His piano style, musical notations on paper, and creative compositions thrived in the 1910s and the 1920s and even weaved its way into the later eras as musicians used Morton’s music as the foundation for their own. Even past his death, Jelly Roll Morton remains a legendary figure. His works are meticulously preserved and displayed in the prestigious Smithsonian Museum and universities around the world continue his legacy by teaching students about Jelly Roll Morton and his influential career.

    Read More

  • West End Blues: Louis Armstrong's Impact On Jazz Music

    455 Words  | 1 Pages

    When it comes to jazz music, there is one name that everyone knows, whether they’ve never listened to jazz before or if they’ve listened to it their whole lives. That name is Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was one of the pioneers of jazz music, from his humble beginnings in one of New Orleans roughest districts, “the Battlefield”, to playing concerts for sold out crowds in Chicago and New York City, Louis left a massive impact on the way America listened to music for a long time. One of his premier tracks, “West End Blues”, left an impact on jazz music, which other musicians would try to emulate for years.

    Read More

  • Life in Oklahoma City by Ralph Ellison

    1785 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ellison grew and developed a liking in music where he studied piano and the trumpet. It was during this time that Oklahoma City was famous with several great jazz musicians.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Louis Armstrong's Influence On American History

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history, and even today, music has shaped America’s culture, society, and even politics. One of the most outstanding and enduring musical movement has been from African American artists, ranging from bebop to jazz to hip-hop to rap. During the 1920’s , jazz artists stepped into the limelight and began their impact on American and even world history. Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential leaders during the Harlem Renaissance and his jazz legacy and impact of American history is everlasting. A master of his craft, Armstrong and his music heavily influenced America’s white and black populations from the 1920’s and up until his death.

    Read More

  • Benny Goodman's Jazz, And The Swing Era

    863 Words  | 2 Pages

    The word “jazz” is significant to America, and it has many meanings. Jazz could simply be defined as a genre or style of music that originated in America, but it can also be described as a movement which “bounced into the world somewhere about the year 1911…” . This is important because jazz is constantly changing, evolving, adapting, and improvising. By analyzing the creators, critics, and consumers of jazz in the context of cultural, political, and economic issue, I will illustrate the movement from the 1930’s swing era to the birth of bebop and modern jazz.

    Read More

  • Chuck Berry

    1841 Words  | 4 Pages

    McLeese, Don. “The Spirit of a Rocker.” New York Times. 18 October 1987. Web. 11

    Read More

  • Robert Johnson Essay

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    On November 23, 1936, Johnson recorded his music for the first time. The first song he recorded was "Terraplane Blues." It became a best-selling hit for Vocalon, a Columbia Records specialty label. In June of 1937, Johnson recorded for his fifth and final time. Johnson only recorded 29 songs during his lifetime. Johnson would have recorded many more songs and may have been an even bigger legend than he already is if his life was cut short.

    Read More

  • Duke Ellington

    550 Words  | 2 Pages

    Edward Kennedy Ellington, American jazz composer, orchestrator, bandleader, and pianist, is considered to be the greatest composer in the history of jazz music and one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. He composed over 2000 works and performed numerous concerts during his musical career. A compilation of some of his most popular music is collected on a CD called "The Popular Duke Ellington."

    Read More

  • Louis Armstrong: Jazz Music And Music In Jazz Culture

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    Louis Armstrong, born August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, was a jazz musician with gifted performing skills ranging from playing the trumpet and composing music to singing and occasional acting. His career was most prominent from the 1920s through the 1960s playing songs such as “What a wonderful world” and “Hello, Dolly”. Armstrong had multiple nicknames such as Pops, Big Papa Dip, and Satchmo his extraordinary jazz performances not only influenced jazz but American culture and the world as a whole. His perfect pitch and rhythm spread throughout America like a freight train. His music supplied such revolutionary vocabulary it soon became commonplace, like forks and knives. Armstrong once said “If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know”.

    Read More

  • Bill Evans's Impact On Jazz

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bill Evans was drafted shortly after he began his music career on tour with Herbie Fields. After three years in the service, he continued on tour while taking graduate school classes at Manne College in New York. At Manne College, he encountered George Russell, a pianist and composer who had a great influence on modal jazz. George Russell wrote Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, which presented the

    Read More

  • Hank Williams Essay

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hank Williams was arguably the most influential country music star of all time. Though his life of fame was short-lived, his legend continues to live among millions of fans. Hank was the first legendary country music singer, and he was an innovator of his time. Hank helped country music spread from the rural south to other parts of the nation. Hank was launched to fame with many songs such as “Your Cheatin Heart,” “Jambalaya,” and “Cold, Cold Heart.” The legacy of Hank Williams continues to influence country music fans worldwide.

    Read More

  • Instrumental Music Through the Eras

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    Music has shaped the lives of people throughout history. Even in its earliest forms, music has included use of instruments. One of the oldest musical instruments known is a variation of the flute; the original flute is thought to date back nearly 67,000 years ago. Tonight we are going to move throughout the eras with a history of instrumental music. This concert will begin with the Renaissance Era and continue through time until we have reached modern instrumental music.

    Read More

  • Herbie Hancock Essay

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    The next song played was “River” which is originally by Joni Mitchell. This song included the beautiful vocalists Sonya Kitchell and Amy Keys. “River” took a very different approach and was a lot mellower than the first, definitely not in the jazz fusion genre. Although, jazz fusion is my favorite I do have to say Herbie Hancock originally started off with classical music and like I mentioned before was not introduced to fusion until joining Miles’s band. This being said, Herbie Hancock played very slowly and softly in the piano. And everyone else followed the same

    Read More

  • Inspirational Guitar Hero

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    Melamed, R. (Mar 5, 2002). John May discuses style, jazz influences. Retrieved for this paper Apr 4, 2014 from, http://www.michigandaily.com/content/john-mayer-discusses-style-jazz-influences

    Read More

More about Herbie Hancock: Fusion of Jazz and Electronic

Open Document