Jean-Michel Serres, Composer-pianist (Apfel Café Music): Website

18 March 201524 August 2023

Timeline of Herbie Hancock

1940 On April 12, Herbert Jeffrey Hancock born in wealthy family, Illinois, Chicago, United States. His father was a government inspector and music lover, his mother played piano, his older brother and sister played music.

1947 – Herbie began classical piano lesson.

1950 – Proceed the advanced course and learned writing and read score by Mr. Jordan.

1951 – Co-stared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.26 in D Major)

1960 – Left Grinnell College, he studied electrical engineering.

Backed to Chicago and began working with Donald Byrd and Coleman Hawkins.

1961 – On January, moved to New York, was called by Donald Byrd.

1962 – ‘Takin’ Off’, Hancock’s first leader album, includes ‘Watermelon Man’. (Hard Bop, Funky Jazz)

1963 – Provide ‘Watermelon Man’ to Mongo Santamaria, was hit.

1964 – Acquaintance with Miles Davis and he force Hancock to have an audition. Participated in Miles Davis’s ‘second great quintet’ with Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.

‘Empyrean Isles’ includes ‘Cantaloupe Island’ (Hard Bop, Soul Jazz, New Mainstream)

Sideman of ‘Speak No Evil’ by Wayne Shorter. (New Mainstream)

1965 – ‘Maiden Voyage’ Adopted expanded the mode approach with member of Miles Davis Quintet and Freddie Hubbard. A representative work of New Mainstream Jazz and Herbie Hancock. (New Mainstream)

1966 – ‘Blow-Up’ (Soundtrack)

1967 – ‘Miles Smiles’ by Miles Davis, the musical style declared in this album would be called ‘New Mainstream Jazz’ or ‘Modern Mainstream’. (New Mainstream)

1968 – ‘Speak Like a Child’ Adopted a not common sextet (alto flute, flugelhorn, bass trombone and rhythm section) and treat the horn section as a accompaniment part. (Hard Bop, Post-Bop)

‘Miles in the Sky’ by Miles Davis, in this album Miles force Hancock to play a electric piano. (Post-Bop, Electric Jazz)

Hancock left the Miles Davis’s band.

1969 – ‘Prisoner’ Use uncommon horn sections on the extension of ‘Speak Like a Child’ and practice of electronic piano. (Post-Bop, Electric Jazz, Fusion)

1973 – ‘Head Hunters’, Masterpiece and big hit of Jazz Funk. Boldly adopted Funk sound of James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone and Earth, Wind & Fire. Employ Funk musicians and some of synthesizers. Then Hancock created the music fusion groove of Funk and improvisations of Jazz. (Jazz Funk, Fusion)

1975 – Sideman of ‘Jaco Pastorius’ by Jaco Pastorius. (Fusion)

1976 – ‘VSOP’ A live album of the summing up of the career of Hancock. The VSOP Quintet was supposed to be a special band (but the quintet continued the activity). The member of the VSOP Quintet are Miles Davis quintet without Miles and Freddie Hubbard. This quintet played the music like a revival of New Mainstream Jazz. The second of the records recorded sextet (in ‘Speak Like a Child’) and Jazz Funk aspects of Hancock. Especially cutting guitar plays by Ray Parker Jr. and Wah Wah Watson in ’Hang Up Your Hang Ups’ would be called the ’bible of funk guitar (or cutting guitar)’.

1977 – ‘Herbie Hancock Trio’ Revival of authentic Jazz.

1978 – Sideman of ‘Mingus’ by Joni Mitchell (Folk Jazz, Vocal Jazz)

1982 – ‘Quartet’ Featured an up-and-coming trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Some of songs of the album were from repertoire of Miles’s the ‘second great quintet’ and the VSOP. (Resurgence of Traditionalism, New Mainstream)

1983 – ‘Future Shock’ was produced by Bill Laswell, and adopted Hip Hop sound and scratching by Grand Mixer DXT. The song of the album ‘Rockit’ made a big hit in worldwide. (Electro Funk, Instrumental Hip Hop)

1986 – ‘Round Midnight’ A soundtrack of Jazz movie. (Soundtrack)

1994 – ‘Dis is da Drum’ A reaction to Acid Jazz by Hancock. (Fusion, Jazz Funk, Instrumental Hip Hop)

1998 – ‘Gershwin’s World’ Featured the songs of George Gershwin. (Traditional Jazz, Orchestra Jazz)

2001 – ‘Future2Future’ Featured Bill Laswell, Carl Craig (Detroit Techno producer and DJ), A Guy Called Gerald (Drum ’n’ Bass and Techno producer), Rob Swift (Hip Hop DJ and turntablist) and Chaka Khan (Soul singer). (Fusion, Electronica)

2007 – ‘River: The Joni Letter’ A tribute album of songs written by Joni Mitchell. Guet vocalists include Lenard Cohen, Tina Turner, Norah Jones and Joni Mitchell. (Vocal Jazz, Folk Jazz, Pops)

References

‘Standard Text of Herbie Hancock’ Jazz Critic Editors, Matsuzaka, 2002

‘Herbie Hancock: Possibilities’ by Herbie Hancock and Lisa Dickey, Viking, 2014

Timeline of Miles Davis

1926 – May 26 Miles Dewey Davis Ⅲ was born in Alton, Illinois, to an African American affluent family. His father was a dentist. His mother was a music lover.

1935 – Got first his trumpet sent by father’s friend.

1939 – His father was present a new trumpet to Miles.

1943 – Began playing professionally at the Elks Club.

1944 – The Billy Eckstine Band visited St. Louis. The members of the band included Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.

Moved to New York City to study music at the Juilliard School. Got acquainted with Charlie Parker.

1945 – Participated the Charlie Parker Quintet as replacement of Dizzy Gillespie.

‘First Miles’, First Recording on a member of Herbie Fields Sextet.

1947 – First leader recording.

1948 – Miles Davis Nonet, includes J. J. Johnson, Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans, performed at the Royal Roost. (Cool Jazz)

1949 – ‘Birth of the Cool’

First european tour with Tadd Dameron.

1950 – Played together with Art Blakey, witch led Hard Bop style.

1951 – ‘Dig’ with Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey.

1953 – Returned to St. Louis to recover from drug intoxication.

1954 – Came back to New York Jazz scene.

‘Walkin’’ A Peak of Hard Bop style.

‘Bags’ Groove’ with Thelonious Monk and Milt Jackson.

1955 – Formed ‘visionary quintet’ with Sonny Rollins, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.

Formed ‘first great quintet’ added John Coltrane.

1956 – ‘Marathon Session’ Recording of the ‘Hard Bop bible’: ‘Cookin’, ‘Relaxin’, ‘Workin’ and ‘Steamin’.

Major debut by ‘Round About Midnight’, Columbia Records.

1957 – Discharged John Coltrane and Philly Joe Jones, because of their drug intoxication and the limit of quintet Jazz style.

‘Miles Ahead’ with Gil Evans Orchestra.

1958 – Adopted Modal Jazz, and released ‘Milestones’.

Bill Evans joined Miles’s Sextet.

Cannonball Adderley ‘Somethin’ Else’ Virtually leader album of Miles.

1959 – ‘Kind of Blue’ It was the proclamation and completion of Modal Jazz.

1960 – Miles Davis (with Gil Evans) ’Sketches of Spain’

1964 – Formed the ‘second great quintet’, the members of which are Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.

1965 – ‘E.S.P.’ A sprout of New Mainstream.

1967 – ‘Miles Smiles’ A masterpiece of New Mainstream.

1968 – Adopted electronic sounds and rhythm of Rock music on his album ‘Miles in the Sky’. In this album Miles made Herbie Hancock play a electronic piano, George Benson play a electric guitar.

1969 – ‘In a Silent Way’ The title track was composed by Joe Zawinul.

1970 – ‘Bitches Brew’, Adopted Rock and Electronic sound earnestly.

1972 – ‘On the Corner’ Adopted Funk sound and folk instruments.

1975 – Stopped his activity.

1981 – Came back music scene. Collaborated with Marcus Miller, Bill Evans (saxophonist) and heavy guitar sound of Mike Stern, and released a live album ‘We Want Miles’.

1985 – ‘Your Under Arrest’ Adopted Pop arrangement and features two pop songs: ‘Time After Time’ by Cyndi Lauper and ‘Human Nature’ by Michael Jackson.

1986 – Miles Davis ‘Tutu’ produced by Marcus Miller and Tommy LiPuma. This album featured Marcus Miller as producer and multi-player. It was like duet of Miles and Miller.

1991 – Died on September 28 by the combined effect of a pneumonia and stroke.

1992 – ‘Doo-Bop’ featured Hip Hop and rap.

Styles and Subgenres of Jazz

■New Orleans Jazz 1910s – 1920s

Music performed by african americans or Creoles around New Orleans was totally called ‘New Orleans Jazz’. There are various styles from powerful improvisational black music affected by bass bands to music by Creoles for whites like chamber music. These bands consists of front line of trumpet, trombone and clarinet with tuba, guitar, banjo, wood bass, piano and drums.

■Dixieland Jazz 1910s – 1920s

Whites began to imitate New Orleans Jazz by blacks, the music came to called Dixieland Jazz. And the Dixieland Jazz spread all over United States.

artists: Original Dixieland Jass Band

■Chicago Jazz (Chicago Style, Hot Jazz) 1910s – 1920s

artists: Louis Armstrong, Joe ‘King’ Oliver, Edward ‘Kid’ Ory, Leon Bix Beiderbecke

■Swing Jazz 1930s – early 1940s
Swing Jazz was very popular among 1930s to early 1940s, is a style of Jazz performed by orchestras large number of whites forms. Big band performances developed by brass bands are mainstream of this style.
And Swing Jazz was a easy dance music, emphasized big band ensemble by through arrangement and meeting than improvisation and solo as the characteristics of Jazz.

artists: Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Count Basie

■Vocal Jazz 1920s –

Jazz song features vocal mainly not instrumental solos.

artists: Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Al Jarreau, Harry Connick Jr.

■Bebop (Be-bop) early 1940s – mid 1950s

Became early 1940s, The Jazz musicians tired performances as dance orchestra, compete their techniques at midnight jam sessions of Jazz Clubs. Then it created new Jazz style Bebop. (Jazz styles after bebop called ‘Modern Jazz’.)

Bebop perceive compositions as motif and improvisational performance by code progressions of them. Bebop emphasized ad-lib, become the music dynamic and complex. In early 1950s concurrently with slump of Charlie Parker, Bebop was self-destruction by its height and perfection.

artists: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Theronious Monk, Clifford Brown

■Cool Jazz late 1940s – 1950s

Cool Jazz was born by reaction to Bebop, had tastes whites prefered. It sounds intellective and controlled but it lacked dynamics and emotion.

In 1949, among the situation height of Bebop, Miles Davis suggest the new conception as anti-thesis to that. He adopted fine arrangements by Gil Evans and nonet added such as a french horn and a tuba, and recorded the album ‘Birth of Cool’.

This style related to West Coast Jazz by white people.

artists: Miles Davis, Gil Evans

■Hard Bop mid or late of 1950s – 1960s

In the decline of Bebop, Jazz musicians pursue possibilities of new music in the influences by R&B or Soul. In Hard Bop, there coexisted freedom of Bebop and popularity of R&B. 60’s were golden age of Hard Bop.

artists: Art Blakey and Jazz Messengers, Modern Jazz Quartet, Miles Davis

■Jazz Guitar 1950’s –

During early Jazz scene 1910s to 1940s, guitar is regarded as a mere accompaniment instrument. There were only a few excellent guitarists such as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian.

In 1950s, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Joe Pass and Jim Hall presented the possibilities of jazz guitar as solo instrument. And, in fusion era, electric guitar got the title role of Jazz scene by the performances of sophisticated and great guitarist such as John McLaughlin, John Scofield, Al Di Meola, Mike Stern and Pat Metheny.

■West Coast Jazz 1950s

West Coast Jazz is the generic name of Jazz boomed at the West Coast in 50’s. The characteristics of it was the relaxed atmosphere of the West Coast, cheerful feeling of Swing Jazz and free but dictate solos by players, There are many white musicians learned orthodox music education, also related to the climate, West Coast Jazz was like the style successor of Cool Jazz.

artists: Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Shelly Manne, Dave Brubeck, Art Pepper, Stan Getz

■Modal Jazz late 1950s – early 1960s

In late 1950s, the modal improvisation theory was invested and attempted by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and many musicians, completed in a Davis’ album ‘Kind of Blue’. In Hard Bop regarded code progression and theme melody as important, players can’t use some tomes out of theme melody, Then Modal Jazz abolished code progression and convert progression by phrases are based on modes. Modal Jazz has the risk fall into boring, but it made playing improvisations by flexible intentions.

artists: Miles Davis, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson

■Funky Jazz late 1950s – early 1960s

Funky Jazz is a one of derivation style to Hard Bop. It emphasized blues feeling and took in elements of Funk. At making phrases, Funky Jazz intentionally used pentatonic and blue note like Blues, R&B and Soul.

artists: Art Blakey&Jazz Messengers, Cannonball Adderley, Bobby Timmons, Hank Mobley, Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver

■Soul Jazz 1960s

Soul Jazz is similar to Funky Jazz, but it strongly influenced by Blues and Gospel. Soul Jazz adopted modes and progression like Gospel, featured organ, guitar, vibraphone.

artists: Jimmy Smith, Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes, Jimmy McGriff, Lonnie Smith, Big John Patton, Johnny Hammond Smith

■Free Jazz late 1960s – mid 1970s

Free Jazz movement was established by works and playing styles of Ornette Coleman. Free Jazz is the method of playing instruments free from rhythm, harmony, modes and key.

Also the word ‘free’ of Free Jazz means free from Modern Jazz and Modal Jazz, was related to Abstract Expressionism of Visual Art, the Civil Rights Movement and any other revolutionary movements appealed freedom.

artists: Ornette Coleman, Pharoah Sanders, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra

■New Mainstream Jazz around 1965 – 1970s

In mid 60’s Miles Davis organized quintet with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, then this era is the second golden age of Miles’ career. Their style pick out essences of Hard Bop and Modal Jazz, and was differ to abstraction and arduous of Free Jazz. Musical style created and performed by the members of quartet would be called ‘New Mainstream Jazz’.

artists: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Granchan Moncur Ⅲ

■Jazz Rock

Jazz Rock is a Jazz style approaches Rock elements and sound.

Jazz Rock probably have two means. One is, in mid 60s, Jazz musician adopted Rock elements the similar to Funky Jazz. For example Lee Morgan and Cannonball Adderley. Another is late 60s to early 70s Jazz musicians affected by Brass Rock and Art Rock, took in electric instruments (electric guitar, electric piano) and playing style of Rock. Such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. Another style led Fusion.

■Fusion late 1960s to 1980s

The word ‘Fusion’ means fuse Jazz to Rock, Pops and other musical genres. Through Jazz Rock and Crossover (which adopted elements of Classical Music and 20th Century Classical), the characteristics of Fusion is sophisticated popular feeling and performance.

artists: Whether Report, Return to Forever, The Head Hunters, Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, David Sanborn, Brecker Brothers

■Resurgence of Traditionalism (Jazz Reincarnation, New Jazz) early 1980s –

Enter the 80’s affairs of Jazz scene changed completely. Grew out of complete devotion to Fusion, the mainstream Jazz attracted people’s attention again.

The trigger of the resurgence of traditionalism was the debut of Winton Marsalis. He born in New Orleans and appeared New York Jazz scene, immediately his traditional performance attracted listeners, His approach is aim to truly revive recorded performances until today, He copied old scores, recorded performances and predecessors’ styles, in addition he added his own interpretations to his performances and composing, and played his music. Response to him, veteran musicians returned to standard acrostic Jazz style. In mid 80’s, the Resurgence of Traditionalism became the leading faction of Jazz scene.

This movement of music is not mentioned as Modern Jazz.

artists: Winton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Joshua Redman

■Punk Jazz

artists: Pop Group, No Wave, John Zorn

■M-Bass

artists: Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson