Herbie Hancock

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Yes this man should be added. He has a lot of the same arguments that were made for Miles Davis' inclusion, but with a couple of differences.

Herbie Hancock's influence on the jazz and jazz-rock scene was (is) very big. Probably more than Return to Forever and almost as much as Weather Report. 

First, Herbie Hancock was very active in the jazz-rock explosion of the late 60s, first using an electric piano in 67-68 and very involved in Miles Davis' albums during this period and beyond. He also released a very early jazz-rock/fusion album titled Fat Albert Rotunda in 1969.

His experimental Mwandishi albums expanded on the early 70s route Miles Davis took, pushing the boundaries for avant-guard free jazz-rock/fusion. Many odd time signatures can be found in these albums, and lots of different instruments were used.

Then Herbie Hancock changed musical direction. He revolutionized jazz-funk with Headhunters and Thrust. Headhunters became one of the best selling jazz albums of all time. Funk had been around since the late 60s, but this was something completely new, and really put funk on the map. So many musicians would be influenced and inspired this music.

Even the prog bands were. After Headhunters came out, countless prog rock bands incorporated some funk into their music. Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, Gentle Giant, and would also influence other jazz musicians as well. In fact the music HH made is still ahead of its time, in that jazz-fusion artists of today still find inspiration in the Headhunters and beyond.

Herbie Hancock didnt just make jazz-funk albums and improvise most of the time, there are many odd times, and really syncopated rhythms going on. Not to mention great melodies and prog sections. Hancock also revolutionized the way synthesizers, clavinet, and other keyboard effects we take for granted on this site were used. He made you think you were listening to other instruments. For example, the opening bass line for Chameleon is actually the keyboard. And what sounds like the guitar part is actually the bass.

Another example is the next track, Watermelon Man, where what sounds like a guitar is actually the keyboards.

Herbie Hancock never stopped expanding. The 80s he revolutionized electronic music and in the 90s and 2000s he has always been looking for something new. His very progressive jazz-rock/funk/hip hop album "Dis Is Da Drum" is very fresh and original and came out in 1994 (i think)

Herbie Hancock was a master of progressive jazz-funk and jazz-rock/fusion and jazz and progressive hip hop and many other styles of music. He is also one of the only Miles fusion alumni to not be here, everyone else is. He was integral in the development of jazz-fusion, and (almost) as important as Davis.

Edited by darkshade - August 17 2008 at 19:35

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