Herbie Hancock is beginning his 70th anniversary year with a new recording that features a plethora of international music stars. The Imagine Project is sure to cause a sensation because of Hancock’s impeccable collaborations with a stellar array of musicians from various musical genres…all under one banner. Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Chaka Khan, Jeff Beck or Seal don’t leave their original chops at the door; they take them to another level.
The Music of The Imagine Project
Hancock turned mainstream jazz upside down with his musical journeys recorded for Blue Note, with Miles Davis, and with his jazz/rock fusion, electric and V.S.O.P. projects by creating and furthering vital paths of musical expressions. The Imagine Project is yet another musical journey that presents local, national and international talents from the far corners of the world.
The Imagine Project was recorded on four continents – North America, Asia, Europe and South America - with veteran music producer/arranger Larry Klein at the helm, with additional tracks being produced by Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Juanes, Derek Trucks and John Alagia. Hancock’s genre-defying visions are represented by the crème de la crème of World, Rock, Jazz, R&B, African, Latin, Mid-Eastern, and Brazilian music.
The central themes of peace and global responsibility captivate the listener and are and brilliantly performed by India-Aria, Jeff Beck, Pink and Seal on such songs as John Lennon’s and Paul McCartney's masterful composition titled “Imagine” and their powerful "Tommorow Never Knows," which features Dave Matthews. John Legend and Pink perform a heart-wrenching version of “Don’t Give Up,” while Bob Dylan’s “The Times, They Are A’ Changin’ gets an update from The Chieftains and Lisa Hannigan.
Throughout, Herbie Hancock is predictably brilliant. He calls upon the full palette of musical resources as he compliments this excellent coterie of musicians on piano and keyboards. He also arranged all but three titles, conceptualized and produced, and remains at he core of the project’s concepts of peace, humanity, tolerance and respect for our planet.
The Imagine Project will include many forms such as birthday tribute concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl and tour dates are scheduled to coincide with the release of the CD and accompanying video footage. For more information, please visit www.herbiehancock.com.
About Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock is one of the most versatile and harmonically fluent musicians in the world today. His initial fame as a musician came from his work for Blue Note Records and as the pianist in the Miles Davis Quintet during the Sixties. The 22-year old pianist brought his art of improvisation to a new level, performing within this great quintet like a seasoned master alongside such gifted musicians as Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams.
During the Seventies, Hancock re-emerged as the leader of his own bands Mwandishi and The Headhunters which launched and shaped a new genre of music among musicians…the jazz/rock fusion music genre. No sooner than jazz/rock fusion with its unrelenting backbeats and danceability had garnered a following, Hancock’s creative muse shifted direction. Hancock’s spirit for adventure had thrived within this genre but with the formation of V.S.O.P., Hancock returned to his mainstream jazz roots and featured his acoustic alchemy with Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, and Freddie Hubbard on tour and several recordings. Thirty years later, their music is still relevant.
But many music fans believe Hancock hit his stride with the release of Future Shock, the 1983 hit album that gave the world the electronic mega-hit titled “Rockit.” His commercial success with a song that anticipated the various fusions of jazz and hip hop, combined contemporary dance music, world beats and electronics.
An 11-time GRAMMY Award winner, Herbie Hancock continues his special alliance with Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter among others on award winning albums released during the Eighties and Nineties. The new millennium provided new directions for Hancock with collaborations with Roy Hargrove and the late Michael Brecker, Joni Mitchell and legions of up-and-coming musicians. With the release of The Imagine Project, Hancock solidifies his standing among his peers and followers as a mature leader who has shaped his creativity and ambitions into action without compromising his musical integrity.
Source: MuseMedia Public Relations, press release May 27, 2010.
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