Herbie Hancock at Disney Concert Hall: 2011
Herbie Hancock performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles - a jazz legend in one of the world's most acoustically sophisticated and architecturally stunning venues. The combination of Hancock's musical genius and Disney Hall's perfection made for an unforgettable evening.
The Venue
Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall is a masterpiece of contemporary architecture. The swooping stainless steel exterior and the warm wood interior create spaces that are both visually stunning and acoustically exceptional. The hall was designed for classical music, but jazz sounds incredible there too.
Sitting in Disney Hall, surrounded by Gehry's curves and warm lighting, creates an experience before a note is played. This is a space that takes music seriously, that treats it as art worthy of architecture at the highest level.
The Legend
Herbie Hancock's career spans over six decades. He played piano with Miles Davis in the 1960s, creating some of the most important jazz recordings ever made. He pioneered jazz-funk fusion with the Headhunters. He embraced electronic music and synthesizers. He's won multiple Grammys, including Album of the Year for "River: The Joni Letters."
At this 2011 performance, Hancock was in his early 70s and still pushing forward. He doesn't rest on his laurels or just play the greatest hits. He continues to explore, to experiment, to find new ways to make music.
The Performance
Hancock's piano playing is distinctive - harmonically sophisticated, rhythmically adventurous, melodically inventive. His touch on the piano ranges from delicate to powerful, and his harmonic vocabulary is vast. He can play standards beautifully, but he always finds something new in them.
The band was top-tier. Hancock surrounds himself with world-class musicians who can handle anything he throws at them. The bass player and drummer locked in tight, creating a foundation for Hancock's explorations. The interplay between musicians - listening, responding, building together - showed jazz as a collaborative art form at its finest.
They played material from across Hancock's career - some classic Headhunters funk, some acoustic jazz standards, some electronic experiments. The set showed the breadth of his work and his refusal to be limited to one style or era.
Chameleon
Of course he played "Chameleon" - the funk masterpiece from the Headhunters era. That bassline is one of the most recognizable in all of jazz-funk, and hearing it live got everyone moving. Hancock brought out the keytar (yes, Herbie Hancock is a keytar master), and the funk was undeniable.
"Chameleon" is over 15 minutes on the original recording, and live it can go even longer. Hancock and the band stretched it out, soloed extensively, and grooved hard. It's a reminder that jazz doesn't have to be intellectual and serious - it can be funky and fun while still being sophisticated.
Jazz Evolution
What makes Hancock's career remarkable is his willingness to evolve. When he embraced funk in the 1970s, jazz purists criticized him for selling out. When he used synthesizers and electronic instruments, they said it wasn't real jazz. When he covered Joni Mitchell songs, they questioned his jazz credibility.
But Hancock never stopped being a jazz musician. He just refused to let other people's definitions limit him. Jazz is about improvisation, exploration, and pushing boundaries. Hancock has stayed true to that spirit even when the specific sounds changed.
Disney Hall Acoustics
The acoustics in Disney Hall are extraordinary. Every note Hancock played came through clearly. You could hear the nuances of his touch, the interaction between instruments, the subtle dynamics. The hall doesn't add artificial resonance; it just presents the music truthfully and beautifully.
Experiencing jazz in a space designed for acoustic perfection shows what the music can sound like at its best. No muddy bass, no piercing highs, no dead spots - just music reproduced faithfully.
The Classical-Jazz Connection
Seeing jazz in a venue primarily known for classical music makes sense. Both genres value virtuosity, compositional sophistication, and acoustic instruments. The boundaries between jazz and classical have always been porous - composers like Gershwin, Bernstein, and Ravel drew on jazz, while jazz musicians study classical harmony and technique.
Hancock himself has classical training and has collaborated with classical musicians. Presenting his music in Disney Hall acknowledges jazz as serious art worthy of the same venues and respect that classical music receives.
The Verdict
Herbie Hancock at Disney Concert Hall was a perfect pairing - one of jazz's greatest artists in one of the world's greatest concert halls. His piano playing, his compositional genius, and his band's excellence combined with the hall's acoustics and architecture to create something special.
If you have a chance to see Herbie Hancock, take it. At over 70 (now over 80!), he continues to create, explore, and inspire. He's a living link to jazz history - he played with Miles - and a contemporary innovator still making relevant music.
Thank you, Herbie, for decades of musical exploration and for showing that jazz can be funky, electronic, acoustic, adventurous, and accessible all at once.