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Herbie Hancock's 'Imagine Project': Boomer Nostalgia, Supergroups And Pink

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Douglas Kirkland

A Blog Supreme

Herbie Hancock's 'Imagine Project': Boomer Nostalgia, Supergroups And Pink

June 17, 2010 • A sophisticated pop masterstroke -- or a hot mess? Felix Contreras and Patrick Jarenwattananon have an IM chat about the jazz pianist's star-studded new album, a collaboration with pop and rock stars from around the globe.

First Listen: Herbie Hancock, 'The Imagine Project'

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Douglas Kirkland

First Listen

First Listen: Herbie Hancock, 'The Imagine Project'

June 13, 2010 • Hancock has always had his feet planted firmly in both jazz and pop. His new album, a collection of collaborations with superstar vocalists, is unmistakably a pop record, but one that's as musically challenging as it is engaging and accessible. Hear The Imagine Project in its entirety until its release on June 22.

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Take Five: By Theme

Jazz Is For The Birds

90.5 WESA

April 5, 2010 • Springtime brings songbirds back to the sky. The first "bird" many think of when they think jazz is sax legend Charlie Parker (it was his nickname). This Take Five doesn't focus on Bird, Birdland or the many song titles that riff on that theme. Instead, this jazz ornithology lesson features songs of a different feather flocked together.

All Their Loving: Jazz Covers The Beatles

courtesy of the artist

Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

All Their Loving: Jazz Covers The Beatles

September 9, 2009 • As the British Invasion changed the landscape of the music industry, jazz musicians had to adapt to popular music written by the bands themselves instead of hired songwriters.

Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Fusion Is Not A Four-Letter Word

February 2, 2009 • Fans and detractors of jazz fusion cite Miles Davis as the one who led the way to a new direction in jazz in the late 1960s and early '70s. The sessions for In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew not only bred a new style, but also helped identify the pioneers who would help define rock-influenced jazz. Hear five classic examples.

The Sounds of American Culture

'Head Hunters' Found A New Direction In Jazz

December 28, 2008 • Herbie Hancock's album is now considered one of the defining moments in jazz fusion. The Library of Congress is preserving the album in its musical collection as one of the country's most culturally significant audio recordings. Hancock and producer David Rubinson reflect on the album's creation and long-lasting impact.

'Head Hunters' Found A New Direction In Jazz

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Music Interviews

Three Producers, One Goal: Great Sound

November 23, 2008 • Award-winning record producers Larry Klein, John Leventhal and Steve Rodby help create the sonic landscapes for Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin and Pat Metheny. They explain how they use studio technology — delicately, of course — to create great recordings.

Three Producers, One Goal: Great Sound

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Concerts

Herbie Hancock Lights It Up At Newport

WBGO

November 6, 2008 • Fifty-five years ago, a young jazz presenter named George Wein discovered that the people sailing yachts around Narragansett Bay loved jazz. With their support, Wein founded the Newport Jazz Festival, the first of its kind, and it's still going strong. Here's a highlight of this year's festival, from Herbie Hancock and Dave Holland.

Herbie Hancock in Concert at Newport Jazz Festival - 08/10/2008

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Douglas Mason/Getty Images

Newport Jazz Festival

Herbie Hancock: Newport Jazz 2008

WBGO

August 15, 2008 • The keyboard giant brought a stellar group of musicians to the JVC Jazz Festival Newport to help perform classics from his catalog, as well as recent reconfigurations of pop music.

Herbie Hancock In Concert

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Arturo O'Farrill took over the baton of the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra from his father, Latin jazz pioneer Chico O'Farrill. John Abbott/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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John Abbott/Courtesy of the artist

Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Five Albums I Can't Do Without

May 27, 2008 • Pianist Arturo O'Farrill, son of the Latin jazz pioneer Chico O'Farrill, now conducts the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra in New York. He picks five jazz albums which he says changed his life.

Music News

Music Archived for Eternity

May 26, 2008 • The Library of Congress is known for its collection of the written word, but it also has a mandate to preserve the country's most culturally significant audio recordings. Sociology professor and cultural critic Oliver Wang reviews some of the library's key musical acquisitions from the past year.

Music Archived for Eternity

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Review

Music

Assisted Listen: Herbie Hancock's 'River'

February 15, 2008 • Jazz legend Herbie Hancock won the Grammy for best album with River: The Joni Letters. It's a complex record spanning several genres and encompassing diverse talents. Critic Tom Moon breaks it down.

Assisted Listen: Herbie Hancock's 'River'

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Review

Music Reviews

On 'River,' Hancock Skates Away with Grammy

February 11, 2008 • Last night, the Album of the Year Grammy went to an underdog — Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters. Though the Joni Mitchell tribute doesn't rank among Hancock's best work, Tom Moon says that for those who know the pianist, the unlikely honor isn't really so unlikely.

On 'River,' Hancock Skates Away with Grammy

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Music News

Winehouse Dominates Grammys, Until...

February 10, 2008 • Amy Winehouse racked up award after award in the 50th edition of Sunday's Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. But Herbie Hancock's jazz tribute to Joni Mitchell pulled off a last-minute upset, winning Album of the Year.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Not My Job: Herbie Hancock

December 22, 2007 • The jazz legend plays a game called "And That's Why I Earn the Big Bucks": Three questions about the worst business decisions of 2007. Along the way, he also makes a surprising nomination for the sexiest instrument.

Not My Job: Herbie Hancock

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