Artikel geschrieben am: 01.01.70
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Jazz thing präsentiert JazzNights Herbie Hancock Quartet mit Special Guest Jacky TerrassonWeiter geht's mit den JazzNights und mit erlesenen Musikern und spannenden Konzerten. Das Programm für 2005 beginnt mit Abdullah Ibrahim in Trio-Besetzung an sieben Februar-Terminen - „An Acoustic Night". Im Mai folgt das Herbie Hancock Quartet, mit Freude präsentiert von Jazz thing.
1962 wurde Herbert „Herbie" Hancock als Solo-Pianist bei Blue Note Records unter Vertrag genommen; ein Jahr später rief Miles Davis an und lud ihn ein, in seinem Quintett mitzuspielen. Seit dieser Zeit ist der Name Herbie Hancock ein leuchtender Fixpunkt der internationalen Jazzszene.
Immer wieder überraschend ist seine Bandbreite, die vom Neo-Bop aus der Zusammenarbeit mit Davis bis zu seinen elektronischen Pop-Produktionen à la Headhunters reicht. Begleitet hat ihn über die ganze Zeit seine Bewunderung für George Gershwin (vgl. Hancocks Hommage „Gershwin's World" von 1998) und seine Toleranz anderen Musikern gegenüber („Future 2 Future" von 2001 in Zusammenarbeit mit jungen HipHop- und Techno-Musikern).
Für den 64-jährigen Hancock, der sich seit vielen Jahren dem Zen-Buddhismus zugewandt hat, sollte Musik nicht nur von Herzen kommen, sondern auch dort entstehen:
„Musik ist ein Weg zur Wahrheit. Ich glaube, die stärkste Musik ist die, die man macht, weil man sie teilen will. Nicht aus einem Geist des Wettbewerbs heraus. Es geht um Vertrauen, Vertrauen in dich und andere."
Die anderen in seinem Quartett sind Lionel Loueke (Gitarre), Dave Carpenter (Bass) und Ritchie Barshay (Schlagzeug) - allesamt mit dem ausgereiften Stil, der brillanten Technik und unerschöpflichen Kreativität ausgestattet wie Special Guest Jacky Terrasson. Der franko-amerikanische Pianist gehört zur nächsten Generation von Jazzmusikern, die vor der schwierigen Aufgabe stehen, aus dem Schatten ihrer Vorbilder herauszutreten und einen individuellen Stil zu entwickeln. Hancock pflegt ganz andere Wunschvorstellungen:
„Wenn es etwas gäbe, das ich meinen Traum nennen würde, dann ist es der Wunsch, ein ganzer Mensch zu sein. Einer, der es schafft, das Leben anderer zu bereichern, statt nur das zu tun, was viele Leute unter Musik verstehen: das Virtuose."
Info / Tickets: www.jazznights.de
Herbie Hancock Quartet mit Special Guest Jacky Terrasson
08.05. Stuttgart, Liederhalle 10.05. Frankfurt, Alte Oper 11.05. München, Staatstheater 13.05. Köln, Philharmonie 14.05. Berlin, RBB Sendesaal 15.05. Hamburg, Laeiszhalle (Musikhalle/Großer Saal)
Website von Herbie Hancock
LINKS
COOL STUFF to Check Out!
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Meyer Sound http://www.meyersound.com/ [NEW]
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Audiohigh.com: http://www.Audiohigh.com
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Tetraspeakers.com: http://www.Tetraspeakers.com
RECENT INTERVIEWS
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[2004.08.12] "An Interview with Herbie Hancock on TOKYO JAZZ 2004" by Music Journalist, Takao Ogawa http://www.tokyo-jazz.com/eng/magazine01.html
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Miles and Beyond: web site dedicated to the influential and inspirational electric music of Miles Davis,containing interviews with Herbie Hancock, Steve Grossman, Dave Holland, Michael Henderson, Billy Cobham, and Airto Moreira and others. http://www.miles-beyond.com/
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Hot News: Apple interviews Herbie Hancock. http://www.apple.com
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"The Fine Art of Breaking Ground: Herbie Hancock Turns 2 the Future Again" http://www.musictoday.com
RECORD COMPANIES
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Verve Music Group: http://www.vervemusicgroup.com
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Legacy Records: http://www.legacyrecordings.com
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Sony Music: http://www.sonymusic.com
TECHNOLOGY
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Apple: http://www.apple.com
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Barco Projection Systems: http://www.barco.com
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Digidesign: http://www.digidesign.com/
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Emagic: http://www.emagic.com
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Euphonix: http://www.euphonix.com/
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Genelec: http://www.genelec.com/
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MOTU: http://www.motu.com/
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Propellerhead: http://www.propellerheads.se/
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Tube Trap http://www.tubetrap.com
PERSONNEL
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Richie Barshay - http://www.richiebarshay.com
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Terri Lyne Carrington http://www.terrilynecarrington.com
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Darrell Diaz: http://www.darrelldiaz.com/
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Matt Garrison: http://www.garrisonjazz.com/
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Dave Hampton: http://www.davehampton.com
Making Music That Moves People “One thing that we focused on during the tour was how it’s easy to lose your humanity when you’re overwhelmed with technology and tools,” says Hancock. “So, ultimately our task as musicians is to use the technology to continue to make music that moves people.” At the beginning of each concert, Hancock states his message: “Without wisdom, the future has no meaning, no valuable purpose,” says Hancock. “What establishes value is something that is going to move humanity forward. If humanity is not in the equation, it’s like the planet without any human beings on it. “The thing that we possess, that machines don’t, is the ability to exhibit wisdom. Wisdom is on a higher plane, and as human beings, it’s part of our ‘being-ness’ to have the capacity to manifest wisdom through creativity,” he says. “That focus is key at this point in my life. “We are all on the same trip in the band. We all realize that people in the music business, and the audience have an eye on us because collectively our history is extensive,” adds Hancock. Advancing Humanity “I created the Rhythm of Life Foundation, which is designed to provide financial support to individuals or companies that are using technology for the advancement of humanity,” explains Hancock. “A lot of people want to know, ‘How do we do that?’” Joseph Mouzon — the foundation’s president — and Hancock put together a new organization, ROLO, to set that example and also to provide an environment for the development of ideas. The first major project is the Bayview-Hunters Point Center for the Arts and Technology in San Francisco.
A Mission Beyond Music. Hancock’s work with the Rhythm of Life Foundation promotes the use of technology for advancing humanity.
“Creativity and artistic endeavors have a mission that goes far beyond just making music for the sake of music,” says Hancock. “The arts can help establish stronger relationships between countries and cultures, in a way that is difficult to achieve by our political ambassadors. “Conventional thinking by those of us who have access to the new technology — ‘the haves’ — ignores the possibility that perhaps many of those who don’t have the access — ‘the have-nots’ — may have intuitive insight toward solutions for addressing the challenges of the human situation but with no way to implement them,” he says. “My idea is that young people who are not as jaded about technology and the use of technology as we are, who didn’t create the technological age, but are born into it, may be able to create software that addresses the issues that pertain to the human being and lead toward the advancement of creativity and the human spirit,” concludes Hancock. “That’s where we’re really coming from.”
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By Stephanie Jorgl “Music happens to be an art form that transcends language,” says Herbie Hancock, the award-winning pianist, composer, producer, performer and constant pioneer of new music technology. “In many ways, musicians have been using the arts to improve cultural and political relationships throughout the world and to help dissolve the boundaries that divide the various peoples of the planet.
“We live on a planet that now must face, hopefully, a form of globalization inclusive of a vision to make the world a better place for the many — not just a select few — and I believe that the arts are in the forefront of that dream,” he adds. The name Herbie Hancock is synonymous with futuristic, fusionistic and formally audacious jazz. In the 1960s he recorded for Blue Note and played in the Miles Davis Quintet. Following that, he led groups that set the standard for the emerging genre of electric jazz. He has won seven Grammy Awards and as an accomplished soundtrack composer won one Academy Award.
Technology and Music “When synthesizers came along, it was the first time I thought that the two things I loved, which were science and music, could be put together,” says Hancock. “So, with digital technology, I was the first one out of the gate, trying to put things together that weren’t made to be put together.” More than 40 years after first being discovered, Hancock still strives to catch his listeners off guard and expand the vision of what music is all about. His most recent adventure was to give his audiences a surround-sound concert experience, running a Mac network of virtual instruments. Breaking New Ground “Our crowd is very open minded,” explains Dave Hampton, Hancock’s chief engineer. “More often than not, jazz crowds aren’t going to have that much served up to them. So, everywhere we went, the crowd was blown away not only by the musicianship, but also by the surround sound and visuals.” “All those elements came together. It takes someone like Herbie, always pioneering, always trying something new, to do that,” says Darrell Diaz, Hancock’s musical director. “What other jazz musician could go out there with all that technology and still be able to play his ass off?” Macs in the Studio When it comes to composing, recording, mixing, engineering or producing, Hancock and his engineers rely on an all-Mac network. In order to keep up with their cutting edge reputation, Hancock’s engineer Diaz, acts as a beta tester for companies like Emagic, MOTU, Digidesign and Propellerhead as well as countless plug-in companies. In the studio, four people share 12 Macs, ranging from Power Macs, iBooks, PowerBooks and iMacs. “The Future 2 Future” album is Hancock’s first visit to the genres of house music, acid jazz and trip hop ambient music and reinterpreting that music with the assistance of producer Bill Laswell.
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The Fine Art of Breaking Ground: Herbie Hancock Turns 2 the Future Again interview Page 1 Page 2 of interview Not much more can be said about the contribution that Herbie Hancock has made to music since he hit the international stage in 1961. As a composer, pianist, and innovator, Hancock has played a significant role in ushering in several new waves of musical styles. As the artist himself would probably prefer to have it considered, he has helped broaden the minds of musicians and music lovers alike, categories be damned. Besides his mentor Miles Davis, Hancock has probably done more to further the use of technology in music than any other individual artist. His late '60s synthesizer experimentations helped drive jazz music into the 21st century, and more importantly, helped knock down the barriers that separated rock and jazz, as well as electronic music and everything else. Inevitably, Hancock's integration of styles and sounds have led the way for others to further push the boundaries of musical expression, creating such diverse genres as techno, drum & bass, hip hop, funk, jam-oriented rock, modern Ramp;B (in the last 30 years), and electronica. Especially electronica, which utilizes samples, synthesized sounds, drum programming, and even live musicians to create a constant but unpredictable soundscape whose purpose is to move rumps and expand minds. This is where history begins to come full circle…or maybe it's more like a complex matrix that is built upon the interconnectivity between all artists. Inspired by young pioneers like DJ Rob Swift, Carl Craig, and A Guy Called Gerald, Hancock and producer Bill Laswell, who worked with the keyboardist on his classic Future Shock album, took the modern electronic medium and threw in the jazz sensibilities of improvisation and chordal variation, thus creating a brand new form. As one reviewer puts it: "If techno is our common future, Future 2 Future offers a shadowy glimpse of the inevitable morning-after, a post-Ecstasy moment of contemplation." Musictoday recently spoke with Herbie Hancock about his rise to stardom, his views on the music industry, and the making of his latest album. Read on to find out why this legendary genius is always striving toward the future, aspiring to unleash the limitless possibilities of the human mind. Musictoday: You were labeled a child prodigy when you were young; were you aware of that at the time (i.e., were you treated that way by parents, teachers, etc.)? How did that affect your outlook as a child? Herbie Hancock: Nobody told me I was a child prodigy. That word never came up then…I was very much an adult [before I heard that term]. How does one treat a child prodigy anyway? People put you on a pedestal when you become famous, in their eyes, or if they really respect your work, they might put you on a pedestal, but I didn't get that as a kid. MT: I understand you were born and raised in Chicago, then moved to New York right around the time that electric blues was making its mark. How did the blues affect your music, once you moved on to the Big Apple? HH: I wasn't really aware that the blues was making the transition from acoustic to electric then, but that doesn't mean it didn't have any effect on what I was doing at the time. I went to New York in January of 1961 and I wasn't following blues per se when I went to NY. I wasn't following Muddy Waters, even though I'd heard of him, and I actually saw him perform one time in Chicago. I was very much aware of blues, because it was on the radio all the time. There were blues records everywhere; we didn't have a lot of blues records in our apartment, but it was in the building [laughs], in other people's apartments. I heard it…a lot of it. When did I hear the name John Lee Hooker? I think I heard the name Muddy Waters first, then John Lee Hooker. Let's see…like some of the harmonica players, Sonny Boy Williamson, I didn't follow them that much. There was a radio station in Chicago, there was a guy named Al Benson, and he pretty much dominated black radio in the '50s. and he had shows on that played R&B, and certain hours, he would play all blues records. Other hours, he would play a mixture of things, even some jazz things. At the time, I wasn't listening to jazz; I was listening to doo-wop groups, and I didn't listen that closely to the blues, it wasn't what motivated me, but it was part of the fabric that I grew up on. Not too many people my age really zeroed in on the blues. Most of the people that listened to it were older than teenagers. As the 1960s began, jazz music was still at an apex, with hard bop groups led by the likes of Miles Davis and John Coltrane remaining a force on the musical landscape. At the time, Herbie Hancock had not yet begun to imagine the life of a career jazz musician, such as the one that trumpeter Donald Byrd was leading. Byrd had risen to prominence in the late '50s as a collaborator with luminaries Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and Art Blakey. In 1961, Byrd invited a young Hancock to sit in with his band for a weekend, thus catapulting the pianist into the realm of professional musician and eventual canonization. MT: What was it like to be asked to join a band like Donald Byrd's in one of the most exciting periods of jazz history? HH: I was blown away when Donald asked me to stay in the band. He said that both he and the band really liked my playing. I was just playing a weekend with them, and then he said that they all agreed that they wanted me to stay in the band and move to New York, 'cause I was living in Chicago at the time. I was flattered. I hadn't dreamed that that would happen to me, not at that time. I had just come out of college, and I figured that I would probably be in Chicago for the next couple of years, and then maybe, I 'd get a chance to go to New York and hang out with the big boys. I was excited about the possibility of going to New York. Of course, he had to ask my parents first [laughs], which is kind of funny, but I was living in their house. I was developing to become a man, but I was still pretty much their son, as opposed to being a separate entity. And he asked them, and they said if that's what I wanted to do, I would go with their blessings. I mean, they would much rather have me say that I was going to New York to go to Julliard or to play with the New York Philharmonic to play classical music [laughs], but I still went with their blessings. And later on, when they saw that I could survive like that, and they saw that I was making records that they could be proud of, then it was alright with them. Then I truly had their blessings, not just their words, but their happiness at the way I had shaped my future. MT: I find your music to be very visual, and I know you have scored films before; have you used film itself as a medium for your creative talents? HH: Not really. I actually own Final Cut Pro, which is software for editing video, and Premiere from Adobe, I have that. I've dabbled with that, mostly because the editing process is one that's done on a computer, and I have interest in computer technology. It is an art form that gets edited on a computer and I'm fascinated with all that stuff, so that's how I got into it. As far as actually writing scripts or stories…now scenarios, most people have ideas for scenarios that could be the basis for a film. I have done that, as a matter of fact. A couple of years ago, I came up with the idea for a film that I thought could be interesting, and I took it to a couple of people—nobody professional or anything—but I thought it was kind of cool. MT: Throughout the course of your career, you've played many different styles of music. Which kind makes your juices flow the most when performing it? HH: It's not the style that motivates me, as much as an attitude of openness that I have when I go into a project. When I'm sensitive to the circumstances surrounding me, then I can be inspired by them or use them in whatever I may be creating. When I feel that kind of freedom, then I'm stimulated. But if I'm banging my head against a wall because I can't come up with any ideas, that's not so much fun. The concept of improvisation is an idea that's very close to my heart, but I can manifest that in a lot of different genres. It really comes from a jazz sensibility. Herbie Hancock's 33rd album, Future 2 Future, was released last September on Transparent Music, a label Hancock co-owns with manager David Passick and ex-Verve chief Chuck Mitchell. The record was co-produced and co-conceptualized by underground visionary Bill Laswell, who helped Hancock realize a stunningly new approach to electronic music. The record has been praised by jazz and techno critics alike, triumphantly underscoring just how valuable Hancock is and has been to the world of music. MT: Okay, I want to talk about the new album, but first, I have to ask you: You look so tough on the cover. Are you sending a message to all the young punks? HH: I'm not smiling for two reasons: first, because you'll find that somewhere between 95 and 98% of the pictures that anyone has ever seen of me is me smiling, and so this makes it rare that I have an album cover where I'm not smiling [laughs]. The other reason is the concept of attitude. I didn't want to appear angry, but it's okay to appear serious or to not smile. So that's a response to that; I was allowing myself to be influenced by that particular trend. One more thing: I like the cover; it looks cool to me, especially what I'm wearing, I think it fits with my expression. MT: Tell me about who or what led you to delve into the modern styles on Future 2 Future. HH: First of all, most people might think that I would sit down, compose the music before anything was recorded, work with Bill Laswell about how we're going to put it on tape, etc. But I've never worked with Bill Laswell that way. What usually happens…what always happens is that he prepares something first on tape—this is all his own doing; I'm not even involved in that, you know—Bill puts maybe a bass player and a drummer on there and lays a track down. I can't even tell you how he does it, in terms of how much of the idea was his and how much was the musicians' own doing. I can't tell you, because I wasn't there. Sometimes, maybe there's a keyboard pad or some synthesizer sound that occurs periodically or some ambient sound that might be happening in the background, and he does that preparation before he brings it to me. Up until this project, we would take whatever he had and I would listen to it and we talk about it and pick out things that we thought…some moments that we thought we could use as thematic material. Or to define the form and use it as a metaphor. Sometimes you can hear something, and it will trigger a metaphor in your mind that you can use as a direction. Then we would analyze that and figure out what the next step would be in putting things together in layers. This time, Bill did bring things to me, but he changed the process. The first time I was hearing the things he prepared, I was in the studio, sitting at a keyboard with the record light on. So, I didn't hear in advance what I was going to play on. He wanted to hear my gut-level response to whatever he prepared, and just let it be whatever it was going to be. You can always manipulate things in the editing process to make them sound better, or leave things out or add things after the fact. We used that kind of process as the foundation of the record, that was our springboard. So there was lot of improvisation that went into Future 2 Future. Continued on Page 2...
The Fine Art of Breaking Ground: Herbie Hancock Turns 2 the Future Again interview Page 2 Page 1 of interview The most spectacular piece on the album comes in the form of "Tony Williams," a song named after Hancock's fellow '60s Miles Davis band mate. Williams, who died of a heart attack in 1997, recorded a track with Laswell several years ago that was to serve as the masonry of a composition by the esteemed drummer. When preparing for his sessions with Hancock, Laswell pulled out the fierce track to use as the basis for a reunion of sorts. Ex-Davis quintet saxophonist Wayne Shorter lays down a frenzied, emotional performance that is equal to the fire from the late drummer's sticks, while Hancock deeply colors the affair with multi-layered keys and vocalist Dana Bryant proclaims, "only once every millennium comes a sun as prophetic as this one—two parts be-bop, two parts rock; day and night equal." The powerful final product is chill-inducing. Mt: What was it like to work with the recorded Tony Williams track? Have you ever done anything like that before, a la Natalie Cole and father? HH: Once. I was on a Chaka Khan record where she did several tunes by jazz musicians, and she did "A Night In Tunisia." I played synthesizer on there, but there's this break in the song where Charlie Parker plays this furious flurry of notes and I played along with him on that. What they did was use Charlie Parker's original track for the foundation, and then when it came to that part—it was Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker—I played along with that, but I also did it in harmony. It was a very eerie experience, particularly in the first take. Somewhere in the middle of playing my solo, I realized I was playing with Bird, even though he had been dead for many years. It hit me like a ton of bricks, and I had to almost hide my face, because tears were welling up in my eyes. Just the thought of playing with Bird, wow! This time, I got to play with Tony after his demise. I didn't feel tearful at all. Quite the contrary, I felt a lot of joy. Of course, there were tears of joy with Bird, too, but this time there was more of a smile on my face than anything. I knew that I was going to be listening to Tony Williams, because Bill and I had discussed it. He said that he had this track that he had recorded years ago and it was a result of conversations with Tony about Bill producing a track of his, but it was never finished. So Bill thought that it might be an appropriate track for this project and I thought it was a good idea, too. I was a little curious as to what my reaction would be. I mean, hearing Tony on record is one thing, but making a new record with some material…and Tony's on it, that's a whole other ball game. I didn't get thrown for a loop, and it was a great joy and pleasure to hear that sound and work with Tony once again. I felt honored to be able to do that again. And Wayne Shorter was unbelievable on that track. He was smoking! Wayne was the last element to be added to that track. Mt: Did you record any of your tracks with live musicians accompanying you, or was it all overdubbed? HH: Everything I did was overdubbed. I was never in the studio with anybody, but I think some things were done where there was at least two or three musicians together in the studio. I know that the tracks with Jack DeJohnette and Charnett Moffett were probably recorded together. It was put together in layers. The disadvantage is that there isn't really any interaction together, so you have to manufacture that interaction to make it believable. On the other hand, you do have the advantage of being able to design an approach to something that you've kind of pre-heard…and there's no feedback problems with the microphones [laughs]. From the song "Wisdom": "Knowledge corresponds to the past; it is technology. Wisdom corresponds to the future; it is philosophy. It is people's hearts that move the age. While knowledge may provide useful point of reference, it cannot become a force to guide the future. By contrast, wisdom captivates people's hearts and has the power to open a new age. Wisdom is the key to understanding the age, creating the time." Mt: A lot has been made in the press of the symmetry between Future Shock and Future 2 Future, in that both albums look forward to the future of music and both feature the influence of Bill Laswell. One difference I see is that Future Shock seemed to paint a somewhat dreary picture of the future, at least visually, while Future 2 Future seems brighter in fully embracing what is to come. HH: I totally agree with you. I hadn't even thought of that before, but I totally agree with you. Future Shock was more of a warning and Future 2 Future has an element of warning to it, in the piece about wisdom [a spoken word piece actually titled "Wisdom"]. It's a statement of our position, which is that we are not making this record in order to honor technology; we're not slaves to that, we don't want to be slaves to that. We want to serve humanity and use technology as a tool, but not be used by it. Aside from that, what was more in our heads when we made the new album is the concept of forging through and exploring new territory and encouraging other musicians to not be afraid to explore new territory. That's kind of what we had in mind, to encourage innovation and not being satisfied with your comfort zone, to go off into the unknown and create something new, if that's what is motivating for you. Mt: Are you aiming that towards jazz musicians? HH: I'm aiming that towards people, towards humanity, not even just musicians. Because this is about life, not about musicians. Mt: I know you're getting ready to head out on the "Future 2 Future Tour." Will you be exclusively covering material from the new album or will you be taking a more retrospective approach? HH: Not exclusively from the new album. We will play several pieces from the new album, but I have a whole history behind me and it only makes sense to play some of the pieces from my repertoire; what I have done in many cases is make new arrangements to some of my older pieces that more reflect the new direction of the Future 2 Future band. Mt: What's on the horizon for you? HH: I've got a U.S. tour coming up in March, of course, then in June, I'm actually doing some concerts with a band that was put together this past September. We put together a band whose purpose was to celebrate the 75th birthdays of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and that band is myself, Michael Brecker on saxophone, Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Brian Blade on drums, and John Pattitucci on bass. So we did that for a month; it was fun. We really developed a new approach to some of the pieces the masters worked on. We're going to go out again in June to do some of the European festivals…maybe some gigs in the States; I know we're doing the Playboy Jazz Festival. Mt: I just saw Brian Blade with Joshua Redman and he is fantastic. HH: He definitely is, but he will not be with us on this upcoming tour. Brian and John Pattitucci will not be with us, because they are touring with Wayne Shorter. Instead, we have a couple of other fellows with us, the drummer for Roy Hargrove, for one. Mt: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? Still doing it? HH: I hope to still be making records, but still traveling and touring, I don't know to the extent that I am now, because it's pretty wearing on your physical energy. I'm involved in some other kinds of things as well. I'm involved in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, and I work with students with that, and I also help try to raise funds for that. We function internationally; I've been to Egypt, India, Thailand, under the auspices of the Thelonious Monk Institute, traveling with a band made up of students from the Institute. I want to continue to still work in that kind of capacity. In a sense, mentoring young musicians, encouraging them and sharing some of my experience with them. There's also an organization called the Rhythm of Life Organization or ROLO, which was put together to further the use of technology in a more humanitarian way, using technology to be a part of a tool set directed toward social issues and human issues, the real kind of problems people face every day. Using technology that way, to be a part of the solution to those type of problems. That's a non-profit organization. Foundations give away money, but we want to collect money so we have something to give away [laughs]. We give it to groups and individuals who are using the technology to address social and other human issues. I hope to do more movie scores, I hope to do more work in the orchestral setting, some more tours that are more in the line that classical musicians play. I'd like to head more in that direction. At the same time, I'm still enjoying working with young people. Future 2 Future is young people that are inspiring me. There's definitely some give and take there. I'm working in a genre that they have created, but at the same time, I have been told by Bill Laswell that I have been an influence on them, particularly my work in the early '70s. Mt: And that surprised you? HH: [laughs] Yeah, I was totally shocked. I didn't believe Bill when he told me that. You know, until I actually talked to a few musicians and read some articles that I believed. When I was in Germany, I read an article in an electronica magazine where they asked 12 or 15 musicians who are some of the musicians that influenced them. And about 65 or 70% of them said that I had influenced them. I was shocked at that. It was interesting putting this record together, because I was putting it together with musicians who claim that I was a big influence on the music they're making now. Mt: It all comes full circle. HH: It is very interesting; it does come full circle, as you say. Mt: Where do you see music heading in the next decade? HH: Well, I'm hoping that the narrow categories of music are forced to develop activities that reflect a broader variety of music, so that people get exposed to more variety that they certainly are now. Radio is getting…broadcast is getting narrower and narrowcast [laughs]. It really doesn't encourage our young people to create in a very open kind of way in approaching music. It discourages that and forces them to create music that fits into these advertising funnels. That's not what is supposed to happen. Creativity shouldn't be following radio; it should be the other way around. It's not encouraging at all, it's downright discouraging. So, I'm hoping that will change, and it might take some of the newer media like the Internet and who knows what else that may be coming along, to give people more avenues for exposure to new music and more avenues to give them a broader spectrum of music to listen to. I want to be a force for that, if anything. That's one of the reasons I made Future 2 Future. I certainly didn't make it to get airplay [laughs]. It's funny, because if I had made that record in the past, it would have gotten some airplay. Mt: One last question: Do you have any words of wisdom for younger musicians? HH: Yeah, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to expand yourself, to step out of your comfort zone. That's where the joy and the adventure lie. by Paul Rosner
Seit seinen frühen Blue-Note-Jahren und der Zusammenarbeit mit Miles Davis in den 60er-Jahren gehört der Pianist Herbie Hancock zu den Heroen des Jazz, aus amerikanischer wie internationaler Sicht. Immer wieder überraschend ist seine Bandbreite, die vom Neo-Bop aus der Zusammenarbeit mit Davis bis zu seinen elektronischen Popproduktionen à la Headhunters in den neuesten Fassungen, von „Gershwin’s World“ (Verwe 1998) zu „Future 2 Future“ (Transparent Music, 2001) reicht. 2002 hatte er große Auftritte, zum Beispiel im Duo mit Wayne Shorter bei dem North Sea Festival in Den Haag. Auch 2003 war er in Europa unterwegs mit einem neuen Quartett und seinem alten Partner aus Blue-Note-Zeiten, Bobby Hutcherson, und einem mitreißenden Rhythmus-Duo, das den wohl an- und aufregendsten Part spielte, Scott Colley am Bass und Terry Lynn Carrington am Schlagzeug. Am Anfang der Tournee war die Band auf dem Traumzeit-Festival Anfang Juli in Duisburg zu erleben, wo nach dem Konzert Interviews, auch für das Fernsehen, stattfanden.
Wie aus dem Jungbrunnen kam die Piano Legende in der spannungsgeladenen Kommunikation mit den beiden um mindestens eine Generation jüngeren Musikern vom ersten Ton an daher. Man konnte ein neues Projekt erleben, das überhaupt nichts zu tun hatte mit marktorientierten Auftritten, wie man sie oft genug bei amerikanischen Exportgruppen in Diensten der Major Labels erleben muss. Was die Vier boten, war aktuelle Musik, die sich bemühte, die Jahrzehnte musikalischer Erfahrung des Herbie Hancock mit den frischen und überzeugenden Ideen der beiden jungen Leute, vor allem des Scott Colley, zusammen zu bringen. Was gerade Colley bewegen kann, hat er in letzter Zeit mehrfach bewiesen, sowohl in den Gruppierungen von Andrew Hill als auch ganz aktuell im Trio mit Chris Potter und Bill Stewart. Im Gespräch während des Viersener Jazz-Festivals 2003 Ende September verwies er darauf, dass die Zusammenarbeit mit Herbie Hancock einfach unvergleichlich ist.
Nach dem alten wie neuen Partner Bobby Hutcherson befragt, erklärte Hancock, dass er keinesfalls mit ihm die alten Ideen wieder aufgreifen, sondern neue gemeinsame Wege finden wolle. Sein Manager habe vor der Tournee unter den Veranstaltern, vor allem auch in Europa, das Gerücht gestreut, dass Hancock vorhabe, mit Hutcherson wieder auf Tournee zu gehen. Die begeisterte Reaktion habe dann den letzten Ausschlag dafür gegeben, dies nun auch wirklich zu tun. Der Sound der Band ist nach seiner Ansicht einfach einzigartig.
Es stört Hancock nicht, dass viele seiner Titel in der Welt des HipHop auch neu bearbeitet oder gesampelt werden, wenn dies damit verbunden ist, dass „eine neue Generation ernsthaft nach neuen Wegen sucht“.
Dem ausdrücklich geäußerten Dank für die großartige Musik, die er der Welt geschenkt habe, begegnete er mit dem Hinweis, dass ihm die Welt dies geschenkt habe.
Hans-Jürgen von Osterhausen
Herbie Hancock, Liederhalle, 9.4.2000
60. Geburtstag am 12.4.
Herbie Hancocks Konzert im sehr gut besuchten Beethoven-Saal war ein harter Brocken Jazz, ein starkes Stück und geriet am Ende zum umjubelten Triumph. Bezeichnend für Hancock, der sich erfolgreich Schablonen widersetzt, dass er nach einer gewissen Verspätung und charmantem Geplauder („I knew „Handtaschen“, I didn’t know „Maultaschen“) vom Rhythmus (Cyro Baptista, perc., Terri Lyne Carrington, dr., Ira Coleman, b.) ins musikalische Geschehen hineintreiben lässt. Baptista zündet ein Perkussionsfeuerwerk, dessen Funken auf die ganze Band überspringen. Hancock verzichtet bei aller pianistischer Brillianz auf Vorführeffekte und gockelhaftes Stargehabe. Er steuert und ordnet sich ein.
Härte und Offenheit sind das Gebot der Stunde: wie ein Aprilsturm fegt dieser Power-Jazz durch die vertrauten Klangräume der Gershwin-Standards. Bis zur Unkenntlichkeit werden harmonische und rhythmische Strukturen verändert, um neue Qualitäten aufscheinen zu lassen. „Wetten, dass Sie die Stücke nicht erkennen!“ hatte Hancock zu Beginn schadenfroh ins Mikro gelacht. Nun tobt ein Rhythmusgewitter, wie Blitze schlagen Trompetenattacken (Eddie Henderson) und Saxophonphrasen ein. Das wetterleuchtende Tastenspiel wechselt zwischen scharfen Akkorden, perlenden Läufen auf dem Steinway und elektronisch erzeugten Synthesizerklängen, die wie Frisbeescheiben durch den Saal zischen. Gemütlich ist das nicht, das Bad im Mainstream fällt aus. Statt dessen: Klänge von wilder Schönheit.
Tatsächlich ist es nicht leicht, die Songs zu identifizieren: da ein Lauf aus „One Finger Snap“, da ein „Summertime“-Zitat mit dem Flügelhorn – inmitten heftigster Improvisationen. Wie eine Blume, die in einen tosenden Gebirgsbach fällt, leuchtet ein bekanntes Motiv auf und wird weggerissen. Widerstände beschleunigen im Strudel der Gegenläufigkeiten das Fließen dieser unbändigen Musik.
Wie erholsam erscheint da der altmodische Swing einer geordneten Nummer: „The Man I Love“ hat einen satinglänzenden Auftritt. Doch für Ja-Damals-Gefühle ist wenig Platz. Hancock erfindet das alte Material neu, auch sein eigenes („Cantaloupe Island“). Wer sich für die Zukunft des Jazz interessiert, sollte mal beim neuen Hancock-Sextett reinhören. Wunderbar klar und seelenruhig spielt übrigens der 21-jährige Tenorsaxophonist Eli Degebri, eine Ausnahmebegabung. Hancock selbst benutzt seine weltweite Popularität nicht dazu, Immergrünes zu vermarkten; er will den Jazz vorantreiben: schnörkellos, scharf, offen. -
1951strahlte sein Stern zum ersten Mal: der elfjährige Herbie interpretierte Mozarts D-Dur-Konzert und Bachs Brandenburgisches Konzert Nr. 2 als Solist des Chicago Symphony Orchestra – ein schwarzes Wunderkind im weißen Scheinwerferlicht eines bürgerlichen Konzertsaals. Weit scheint von da der Weg zum funk, diesem populären Musikstil, der auf den Unterleib zielt und sich von einem anrüchigen Südstaatenwort ableitet, das menschliche Geschlechtsorgane beschreibt.
Doch in den aufrührerischen sechziger Jahren war vieles möglich. Hancock machte als Pianist im legendären Miles Davis Quintet (Wayne Shorter, sax, Ron Carter, Bass, Tony Williams, Drums, Miles Davis, Trompete) Bebop. Doch Miles und seine Mannen hörten weniger Jazz als Beatles, Hendrix und Sly and the Familiy Stone. Mit Hancocks Vorstellungen von ästhetischer Reinheit war’s damit vorbei. Sie ließen sich für ihn so wenig behaupten wie die hehren Ideale der amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitserklärung („Alle Menschen sind vor dem Schöpfer gleich“) in den harten Realitäten der Klassen- und Rassengesellschaft.
Hancock, der sich nicht für ein Genie hielt wie Miles Davis, hatte seine Lebensaufgabe gefunden: Musik war für ihn künftig ein Schauplatz schrankenloser Begegnungen, ein Schmelztiegel unterschiedlicher Sounds. Wie sein „Watermelon Man“, ein Mega-Hit und hundertfach gecoverter Fusion-Klassiker. Das unwiderstehliche Rezept: schaukelnder Soul-Rhythmus, coole, eingängige Melodie und siedend heiße Improvisationen. Der Aufschrei der Puristen, die geflissentlich die Wurzeln des Jazz in der afrikanischen, karibischen und amerikanischen Volksmusik übersehen, hallt bis heute nach. Jazz als akademische Veranstaltung für Eingeweihte? Zum Lachen!
Herbie Hancock, der mit schlanker Hand seinen Steinway so virtuos bedient wie ein Fender Rhodes oder Moog DX7, setzte sich an die Spitze der Fusion-Bewegung. Hip-Hop-Scratching mit Turntable-Akrobaten, Industrie-Sounds, Funk Beats, Acid Jazz – kaum ein zeitgenössischer Mix, der in Hancocks visionärem Spiel nicht schon angelegt wäre.
Er verstand und versteht es glänzend, die Zumutungen des Jazz und die Herausforderungen offener musikalischer Konzepte den Menschen als intensiven Genuss zu vermitteln. Eine Meisterleistung. Wir gratulieren. Natürlich auch zum 60. Geburtstag, den er morgen feiert.
Thomas Staiber
~ Thomas Staiber
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