Herbie Hancock is an American pianist, composer and bandleader whose work spans acoustic jazz, electronic music and funk. Born in Chicago in 1940, he worked with Donald Byrd before joining Miles Davis's quintet in 1963. His own Blue Note recordings include Maiden Voyage and Empyrean Isles.
Hancock's interest in electronic instruments helped shape Head Hunters and, later, Future Shock, which included Rockit and was made with Bill Laswell. Alongside concert and recording work, he has composed for films, including Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up, while continuing to explore acoustic performance.
