Herbie Hancock (Courtesy Herbie Hancock)
Herbie Hancock, a master of keyboards ranging from acoustic grand to funky electronic, plays jazz classics and songs from recent recordings on Tuesday, August 10, at 8 p.m., at the Hop’s Spaulding Auditorium.
Dartmouth staff can use their 2-for-1 one-time summer discount for purchasing tickets to this show, which closes the Hop’s Summer Music Series.
The 12-time Grammy winner gave a taste of the band’s sound on a recent appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, part of a tour in support of his new CD, The Imagine Project, an international film and recording venture that recreates the work of Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Bob Marley.
At the Hop, Hancock will be joined by “soulful-to-the-extreme” (USA Today) young vocalist Kristina Train as well as an outstanding ensemble: drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, who since the ’70s has played in some of the most musically advanced American jazz and pop bands; young Benin-born guitarist Lionel Loueke, who specializes in Afropop-flavored jazz; monster LA session musician Greg Phillinganes on keyboards and vocals; and Saturday Night Live band member James Genus on bass.
Throughout five decades of exploration and 48 recordings (including the 2008 Grammy-winning Album of the Year River: The Joni Letters), Hancock has transcended genres to fashion an unmistakable musical voice. From helping to launch the jazz-fusion movement as part of the Miles Davis Quintet in the early 1960s to brilliant work as a solo artist and bandleader in jazz, pop and classical music, Hancock has been an innovator of electronic music while also making some of the most beautiful acoustic piano music of his time.
Although he recently celebrated his 70th birthday—in a concert bash at Carnegie Hall, Hancock’s prowess remains supreme. “The energy bursting from the keys as he led two different bands through two sets showed Hancock doesn’t just look like a younger man, he plays with the energy of one too,” wrote The Wall Street Journal’s “Speakeasy” blog. Wrote The Ottawa Citizen, “For all the talent on stage, the star of the night was always Hancock, breathtaking in his daring and diversity.”
For tickets and information, call 603-646-2422 or go to hop.dartmouth.edu.
By Rebecca Bailey
