Sound · Chicago, Illinois, USA · Born April 12, 1940
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet", Hancock helped redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section, and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound. He was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace synthesizers and funk. Hancock's music is often melodic and accessible; he has had many songs "cross over" and achieved success among pop audiences. His music embraces elements of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz. In his jazz improvisation, he possesses a unique creative blend of jazz, blues, and modern classical music, with harmonic stylings much like the styles of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Hancock's best-known solo works include "Cantaloupe Island", "Watermelon Man" (later performed by dozens of musicians, including bandleader Mongo Santamaría), "Maiden Voyage", "Chameleon", and the singles "I Thought It Was You" and "Rockit". His 2007 tribute album River: The Joni Letters won the 2008 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, only the second jazz album ever to win the award after Getz/Gilberto in 1965. As a member of Soka Gakkai, Hancock is an adherent of the Nichiren school of Mahayana Buddhism.
MovieTuner
2026
as Herbie Hancock
MovieHerbie
2025
as Self (Archives)
MovieHenry Mancini: 100 at the Hollywood Bowl
2024
as Self
MovieDon Lewis and The Live Electronic Orchestra
2024
as Self
They All Came Out to Montreux
2023
as Self
MovieJoni Mitchell - The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song
2023
as Self
MovieRon Carter: Finding the Right Notes
2022
as Self
Herbie Hancock - Live at SummerStage 2022
2022
as Self
MovieHargrove
2022
as Self
MovieJacob Collier: In the Room Where It Happens
2022
TVBy Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem
2020
as Self
MovieThat Click
2019
as Self
MovieBuster Williams Bass to Infinity
2019
as Himself
MovieMiles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2019
as Self - Musician
MovieBlue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
2019
as Self
MovieInternational Jazz Day Australia Concert 2019
2019
as Self
MovieQ85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
2018
as Self
MovieIt Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story
2018
as Self
MovieValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
2017
as Defence Minister
MovieChick Corea: The Musician
2017
as Self
MovieMore Than Jazz
2016
as Himself
MovieJazz at the White House
2016
as Self
MovieRiver of Gold
2016
as Narrator
MovieMiles Ahead
2016
as Live Concert Band
MovieKareem: Minority of One
2015
as Self
TVJay Leno's Garage
2015
as Self
TVStarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
2015
as Self
MovieMarcus
2015
as Self
Herbie Hancock Trio - Full Concert - 08/14/88 - Newport Jazz Festival
2014
as Self
MovieCharles Lloyd - Arrows Into Infinity
2014
as Piano
TVGirl Meets World
2014
as Self
MovieKeep On Keepin' On
2014
as Self
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self
MovieExperience Montreux
2013
as Self
MovieLang Lang & Herbie Hancock - Live in Berlin
2012
as Himself
MovieGustavo Dudamel and Herbie Hancock Celebrate Gershwin
2011
MovieThe Girls in the Band
2011
MovieA Man's Story
2011
as Self
All-Star Jazz Show: Live from The Ed Sullivan Theater
2011
as Self
MovieMiles Davis: Around Midnight
2011
as Piano
MovieTribute to Miles - Jazz à Vienne
2011
as Himself
MovieA MusiCares Tribute To Barbra Streisand
2011
as Self - Performer
MovieOn the Shoulders of Giants
2011
MovieMusic
2010
as Self
DeJohnette, Metheny, Holland, Hancock - Parallel Realities Live
2010
as Himself
MovieWe Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
2009
as Self
MovieMiles Davis: Kind of Blue
2008
as Self
MovieQuincy Jones : 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux
2008
as Self
MovieHerbie Hancock - The River Of Possibilities Tour - Jazz a Vienne
2008
as Piano
MovieQuincy Jones: Breaking New Sound
2008
as Self
MovieMarcus Miller - Master Of All Trades
2006
as Self
MovieHerbie Hancock: Possibilities
2006
as Self
MovieMiles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue
2004
as Self
Herbie Hancock Special
2004
Valerian
2004
MovieDennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments
2004
as Self
MovieOne Night with Blue Note
2004
as Self
MovieSantana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux
2004
MovieLarry presents: Best of The 80s
2004
as Self
MoviePrachtig 80: Volume 2
2003
as Self
TVThe Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
as Self
MovieJoni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind
2003
as Self
MovieHitters
2002
as District Attorney
MovieWorld of Rhythm - Live in Lugano
2002
as Self
MovieThe Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock
2002
as Himself
MovieHerbie Hancock Future2future Live
2002
as Himself
MovieHerbie Hancock: Jazz Channel
2001
as Herbie Hancock
MovieBlue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz
1997
as Self
TVClassic Albums
1997
as Self
MovieWayne Shorter: Live at Montreux 1996
1996
TVKulturzeit
1995
as self
MovieAntonio Carlos Jobim: An All-Star Tribute
1995
as Self - Pianist
MovieOscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar
1995
as Self
MovieIndecent Proposal
1993
as Himself
TVThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
ECHO-Verleihung
1992
as Self
MovieThe Neville Brothers: Tell It Like It Is
1991
MovieMiles Davis - At La Villette
1991
as Himself
MovieBranford Marsalis: Steep
1991
as Self
MovieDejohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny in Concert
1990
MovieJazz Under the Skies
1990
as Self
MovieJack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland: Parallel Realities Live... (Live at Mellon Jazz Festival)
1990
as Keyboards
MovieCelebrity Guide to Wine
1990
as Self
MovieLive at Munich Summer Piano Festiva
1988
Bobby McFerrin: Spontaneous Inventions
1987
as Himself
Herbie Hancock At The Munich Summer Piano Festival
1987
as Himself
Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis
1986
as Self
Movie'Round Midnight
1986
as Eddie Wayne
MovieBefore Midnight
1986
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe Making of Sun City
1985
as Self
MovieI Love Quincy
1984
as Self
MovieHerbie Hancock Trio: Hurricane!
1984
as Self - Piano
TVSaturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Musical Guest
MoviePBS Soundstage 1974: Chick Corea & Return to Forever + Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters
1974
TVRock Concert
1973
as Self
TVDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest
1972
as Self
TVGreat Performances
1971
as Self
MovieMiles Davis Quintet: Milan 1964
1964
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
TVThe Grammys
1959
as Self
Herbie Hancock And The Rockit Band Live in London
as Themself
MovieHerbie Hancock And The Rockit Band
as Self
