Herbert Jeffrey “Herbie” Hancock is a pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet, Hancock helped to 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 music. Hancock received fourteen Grammy Awards, five MTV Awards, and is the recipient of the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors.
Chameleon is a jazz standard composed by Herbie Hancock in collaboration with Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson and Harvey Mason, all of whom also performed the original 15 minutes and 44 second version on the 1973 landmark album Head Hunters featuring solos by Hancock and Maupin.
Chameleon live 1975
Rockit is a composition recorded by Herbie Hancock. It was released as a single from his 1983 album Future Shock. The composition was written by Hancock, bass guitarist Bill Laswell, and synthesizer/drum machine programmer Michael Beinhorn.
Rockit
On December 8th, 2013 the 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors inducted Herbie Hancock, Martina Arroyo, Shirley MacLaine, Billy Joel and Carlos Santana at a special event attended by the President and First Lady along with other Hollywood and political elites.
36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors