Herbie Hancock

Who cares if his recent recordings don’t stand up to his amazingly diverse earlier works? You still have to see Herbie Hancock to witness one of the world’s most influential musicians in the flesh. After parting ways with the Miles Davis Quintet, Hancock went on to push the boundaries of jazz and the size of its audience by bringing in a hitherto unheard-of selection of electronic instruments and Afro-funk-space-jazz influence. Aside from having the first platinum-selling jazz record in history (1973’s Head Hunters), Hancock’s biggest influence on modern music is his role in the advancement of hip-hop, electro and techno with the song “Rockit,” from 1983’s Future Shock. The song utilized programmed beats and a robotlike voice, but it was the video, which featured Grand Mixer D.ST scratching records, that brought turntablism to the masses on MTV. But don’t expect anything on wax here. Instead, Hancock, saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter Roy Hargrove revisit the pianist’s early days and pay tribute to Davis and John Coltrane.