Wayne Shorter, my best friend, left us with courage in his heart, love and compassion for all, and a seeking spirit for the eternal future. He was ready for his rebirth. As it is with every human being, he is irreplaceable . . .
On our last day of recording, May 17, I walked into the studio and there was no piano for me to play. I said, "Miles, what am I supposed to play?"
"Play that," he said, and nodded toward a Fender Rhodes electric piano.
"Stuff" was released on this day in 1968.
“It’s hard for me to believe that 50 years later this record is still so widely celebrated. I really appreciate that the younger generation has discovered and embraced so much of my music, that was recorded and released so long ago.
and was able to reach the pinnacle of excellence as a saxophonist, composer, orchestrator, and recently, composer of the masterful opera “…Iphigenia “ I miss being around him and his special Wayne-isms but I carry his spirit within my heart always.
Herbie Hancock
We lost another great musician. Paul Jackson played electric bass like no one else. He could create a new bass line on every tune every night. No one else could do that! It came from his jazz background. It was part of his genius. Safe travels to your next life, Paul.
The world has suffered a devastating loss with the passing of Aretha Franklin. She was a dear personal friend, kindred spirit, passionate advocate of civil rights, the arts and freedom of expression.
Happy anniversary to "Secrets!" The jazz-funk fusion album was released on August 1st, 1976 and features contributions from Paul Jackson on bass, Bennie Maupin on sax and Wah Wah Watson on guitar. Notable tracks include "Doin' It" and "Gentle Thoughts."
Herbie reunites for the first time in 50 years with the original lineup of Harvey Mason, Bennie Maupin, and Bill Summers, with Marcus Miller standing in for the late Paul Jackson. Single day tickets are available now!
Icon, legend and sonic explorer Miles Davis was born on May 26 1926. Let’s celebrate Miles and his quintet featuring Herbie, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, and Wayne Shorter at their show in Karlsruhe, Germany in 1967
With
@ChickCorea
in 1980
@MontreuxJazz
. It was almost like a ballet, in a way. It got really crazy, but the audience loved all of that. So I’ll never forget that. That was a monumental memory that I have.
"Forty years ago, in August 1983, jazz keyboard legend Herbie Hancock released 'Future Shock', a genre-defying album that introduced audiences around the world to vinyl scratching, hip-hop beats and sampling.
Throwing it back to Thrust, the follow-up album to Head Hunters, which was released on this day in 1974! The album was recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco and features Herbie, Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson, Mike Clark, and Bill Summers.
When you're doing positive things in your life that are moving forward, the negative forces try to stop you in many ways. But keep going because the winter always turns to spring
Just making sure these old friends still remember these hands…don’t miss all of these pieces on stage at The
@HollywoodBowl
on Wed Aug 14th for the Head Hunters reunion!
We are incredibly excited to be playing
@NewportJazzFest
this Sunday. Until then, enjoy a clip of a rendition of "Footprints" from Newport Jazz Fest '88.
We’re a week out from a celebration of Wayne Shorter at the Hollywood Bowl. Herbie will be joined by Carlos Santana, Esperanza Spalding and more. Tix are avail at
In the meantime, enjoy this clip of Wayne and Herbie performing Wayne’s own “Footprints.”
"Be yourself. The goal is not to be the next Miles Davis or the next Herbie Hancock. It's to be the best version of [you]."
Words from Herbie during a masterclass at The Sydney Opera House in 2019. He will be returning to the Opera House for two nights in October.
Happy anniversary to Herbie's 1978 studio album, "Sunlight." The album features Herbie's vocals through a vocoder as well as performances by drummer Tony Williams and bassist Jaco Pastorius. The opening track, "I Thought It was You" was a hit in the UK.
"Jazz means freedom and openness. It's a music that, although it developed out of the African American experience, speaks more about the human experience than the experience of a particular people."
Head Hunters was recorded by Herbie alongside Bennie Maupin on sax, Paul Jackson on bass, Harvey Mason on drums and Bill Summers on percussion. The album was produced by Herbie and David Rubinson.
Happy Birthday to the incomparable Tony Williams. Tony collaborated with Herbie on 15 records and countless live performances. Here Tony is with Herbie, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Freddie Hubbard in 1978.
Today we reflect on the gifts of music and humanity
@johnlennon
brought to this world on what would have been his 80th birthday. What a treat it was to have
@Pink
,
@Seal
, and
@indiaarie
join me for this rendition of “Imagine”
#Lennon80
It was an honor and privilege to be invited to Jackie Robinson Day at Dodger Stadium this evening w/ Rachel Robinson (Jackie’s widow) and David Robinson (Jackie’s son) in celebration of Jackie’s 100th birthday.
@Dodgers
I think it is up to musicians to encourage people to be courageous, to try things and listen to things they haven’t heard before. To hear things through other people’s ears.
“I was really deep into synthesizers by now, and I wanted to use them in the movie. Nobody had really done that before, and especially not in combination with orchestral instruments, but I decided to combine those elements to add a new twist to a classic sound.”
We lost a great pioneer in modern jazz piano artistry and music education advancement in Ellis Marsalis. He instilled in others, including his sons, led by Wynton and Branford, the fruits of his legacy to share with the world while creating their own. May he Rest In Peace.