Herbie Hancock
Known for: Sound
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.
Filmography
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self
2014
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
Series
Saturday Night Live
Self - Musical Guest
1975
Series
Great Performances
Self
1971
Series
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Series
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Film
Tuner
Herbie Hancock
2026
Series
Kulturzeit
self
1995
Series
Girl Meets World
Self
2014
Series
Jay Leno's Garage
Self
2015
Film
Indecent Proposal
Himself
1993
Series
Classic Albums
Self
1997
Film
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Defence Minister
2017
Series
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest
Self
1972
Series
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Self
2015
Series
Rock Concert
Self
1973
ECHO-Verleihung
Self
1992
Film
'Round Midnight
Eddie Wayne
1986
Film
Miles Ahead
Live Concert Band
2016
Series
By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem
Self
2020
Film
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
Self
2008
Film
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Self - Musician
2019
Film
A MusiCares Tribute To Barbra Streisand
Self - Performer
2011
Film
Kareem: Minority of One
Self
2015
Film
On the Shoulders of Giants
2011
Film
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
Self
2009
Film
A Man's Story
Self
2011
Film
Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
Self
2019
Film
Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments
Self
2004
Film
Henry Mancini: 100 at the Hollywood Bowl
Self
2024
Film
Music
Self
2010
Film
Before Midnight
Self (archive footage)
1986
Film
Jacob Collier: In the Room Where It Happens
Self
2022
Film
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
Self
2006
Herbie Hancock - Live at SummerStage 2022
Self
2022
Film
Herbie Hancock - Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2010
Self — Acoustic piano / Keyboards
Film
Hitters
District Attorney
2002
Film
Blue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz
Self
1997
Film
I Love Quincy
Self
1984
Film
Miles Electric - A Different Kind of Blue
Self
2004
Film
Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar
Self
1995
Film
Keep on Keepin' On
Self
2014
Film
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Self
2018
Film
It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story
Self
2018
Film
The Making of Sun City
Self
1985
Film
Hargrove
Self
2022
Bobby McFerrin: Spontaneous Inventions
Himself
1987
Film
Larry presents: Best of The 80s
Self
2004
Film
That Click
Self
2019
Film
Herbie
Self (Archives)
2025
Film
Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux
2004
Film
Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind
Self
2003
Film
River of Gold
Narrator
2016
They All Came Out to Montreux
Self
2023
Series
The Grammys
Self
1959
Film
Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes
Self
2022
Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis
Self
1986
Film
Antonio Carlos Jobim: An All-Star Tribute
Self - Pianist
1995
Film
Jazz at the White House
Self
2016
Film
Quincy Jones: Breaking New Sound
Self
2008
Film
Chick Corea: The Musician
Self
2017
Film
Herbie Hancock - The River Of Possibilities Tour - Jazz a Vienne
Piano
2008
Film
Celebrity Guide to Wine
Self
1990
Film
Marcus Miller - Master Of All Trades
Self
2006
Film
Wayne Shorter: Live at Montreux 1996
1996
Film
Prachtig 80: Volume 2
Self
2003
Film
Charles Lloyd - Arrows Into Infinity
Piano
2014
Film
Quincy Jones : 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux
Self
2008
Film
The Neville Brothers: Tell It Like It Is
1991
Film
Lang Lang & Herbie Hancock - Live in Berlin
Himself
2012
Film
International Jazz Day Australia Concert 2019
Self
2019
All-Star Jazz Show: Live from The Ed Sullivan Theater
Self
2011
Film
Jazz Under the Skies
Self
1990
Film
Tribute to Miles - Jazz à Vienne
Himself
2011
Film
Marcus
Self
2015
Film
Joni Mitchell - The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song
Self
2023
Film
Experience Montreux
Self
2013
Film
Herbie Hancock: Jazz Channel
Herbie Hancock
2001
Film
Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland: Parallel Realities Live... (Live at Mellon Jazz Festival)
Keyboards
1990
Film
Miles Davis Quintet: Milan 1964
1964
Film
Herbie Hancock Future2future Live
Himself
2002
Film
More Than Jazz
Himself
2016
Film
One Night with Blue Note
Self
2004
Film
Live at Munich Summer Piano Festiva
1988
Film
Herbie Hancock And The Rockit Band
Self
Film
Don Lewis and The Live Electronic Orchestra
Self
2024
Film
The Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock
Himself
2002
Film
Branford Marsalis: Steep
Self
1991
Film
Herbie Hancock Trio: Hurricane!
Self - Piano
1984
Film
Buster Williams Bass to Infinity
Himself
2019
Film
PBS Soundstage 1974: Chick Corea & Return to Forever + Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters
1974
Herbie Hancock At The Munich Summer Piano Festival
Himself
1987
DeJohnette, Metheny, Holland, Hancock - Parallel Realities Live
Himself
2010
Film
Miles Davis - At La Villette
Himself
1991
Film
World of Rhythm - Live in Lugano
Self
2002
Herbie Hancock And The Rockit Band Live in London
Themself
Film
Miles Davis: Around Midnight
Piano
2011
Film
The Girls in the Band
2011
Herbie Hancock Special
2004
Film
Dejohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny in Concert
1990
Film
Gustavo Dudamel and Herbie Hancock Celebrate Gershwin
2011
Herbie Hancock Trio - Full Concert - 08/14/88 - Newport Jazz Festival
Self
2014