Interview: HERBIE HANCOCK at Van Wezel

Herbie Hancock, a legend in the music industry with a career spanning over seven remarkable decades, started making waves at the tender age of 11 when he dazzled audiences alongside the Chicago Symphony in his hometown. Throughout his illustrious journey, he shared the stage with musicians from Miles Davis, Paul Simon, Sting, and Tina Turner, just to sprinkle a few names. Making history as the first jazz artist to have a jazz album reach platinum status, Hancock's exceptional talent has taken him to stadium-filled shows across the globe.
Accumulating an astonishing number of accolades along the way, including over 30 award nominations and an impressive 14 Grammy wins, it's no surprise that he has received a Lifetime Achievement Award among his many triumphs. Not confined to a single genre, Hancock's achievements extend to jazz, R&B, and pop collaborations, even securing an Oscar award to add to his well-deserved collection. Beyond the realm of music, he has also been recognized as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, NEA Jazzmaster, Kennedy Award Recipient, and MTV Music Video Award recipient.

Herbie Hancock, the maestro behind magnificent musical compositions, is surprisingly one of the easiest individuals to shoot the breeze with. Broadway World recently had the pleasure of catching up with him at his buzzing headquarters, and he had some wisdom to impart! As International Jazz Day approaches on April 30th, the 15th celebration of this global gala will spotlight Chicago, Illinois, as the grand Global Host City, a jubilant nod to the 250th birthday bash of America. This UNESCO extravaganza was the brainchild of Hancock when he was bestowed the prestigious title of ambassador. “Jazz was born right here in the US but taken flight and spread its wings across the globe. Now they're making jazz music all over the map,” stated Hancock, reflecting his passion for the worldwide fusion of sounds. This stage, designed to amplify this very notion, perfectly aligns with Hancock's overarching global outlook. In his concerts all over the world he talks to audiences about us all coming from individual families:

“We are all the same family because we are all the same species. Human beings all came from the same “root”. The idea is that we are all one family, and how many people do you really like in your own family? Everyone always laughs at that, but we always try to treat them well because we love our family! Human beings have been trying to kill each other, and we better learn quickly because we have some “new children” (aka Robots), and we have to teach ethics and morals to these machines. We need to start treating each other with kindness, we practice kindness to ourselves, and we also need to have kindness for each other.”

In addition to his broad positive outlook on the world, Herbie Hancock seems to have discovered the secret to harnessing time and staying agelessly active in the music industry. Juggling tours, accolades, and lectures, this jazz legend is not even starting to slow down anytime soon. With not one, but two albums simmering in the creative cauldron, including a studio album and a live one waiting to hit the airwaves, his artistic well seems bottomless.
When asked about the elixir that keeps his creativity ablaze, Hancock delivered a knockout punch of wit by saying, "Waking up in the morning keeps me curious!" A man of infinite melodies, his thirst for new sounds and stories knows no bounds. He's on a mission to paint the world with the colorful palette of his kind emotions and experiences, eager to serenade the ears of anyone willing to lend them. So, if you find yourself in need of a musical journey, just tune in to the opus of Herbie Hancock.