The Legendary Herbie Hancock brings six decades of experimental jazz to Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

In the late ’90s, while working at a music store, my coworkers and I — despite having wildly different musical tastes — embarked on a shared exploration of jazz. At the time, I knew Herbie Hancock primarily through his groundbreaking ’80s hit “Rockit,” but the breadth of his catalog was an exciting revelation. It quickly became clear that Hancock had little interest in remaining confined to any single style or tradition. Whether it was the reunited The Headhunters‘ funk-infused Return of the Headhunters (1998), the intimate musical conversation of 1+1 (1997) with Wayne Shorter, or his interpretations on Gershwin’s World (1998), Hancock demonstrated a restless creativity that refused to recognize genre boundaries.

Hancock established himself in the early ’60s as a formidable creative force, but it was his work with Miles Davis that cemented his reputation as one of the leading pianists in the rapidly evolving jazz scene.

Following his work with Davis, Hancock turned his attention to electric keyboards and the outer edges of jazz experimentation. During this period, he became one of the first major jazz artists to embrace the Moog synthesizer, helping redefine the role of electronic instruments in the genre. In 1973, he channeled those explorations into The Headhunters, blending jazz with soul and funk on one of the genre’s most influential albums.

A decade later, Hancock once again found himself at the forefront of musical innovation. Among the few jazz artists to embrace hip-hop and the emerging MTV era, he released Future Shock, the seminal 1983 album that featured the electronic masterpiece “Rockit.” The song and its groundbreaking video introduced Hancock to an entirely new generation.

Since the 1980s, Hancock has continued to blur musical boundaries while also returning to the classic jazz standards that first established his reputation. In short, Hancock’s career has been defined by its unpredictability, while his ability to weave together the past and the present remains unparalleled.

A quick glance at Hancock’s recent setlists reveals a career-spanning collection of songs that reflects his ever-evolving musical vision. More than six decades into a career defined by constant reinvention, Hancock remains one of music’s most innovative performers. Experience a living legend when Herbie Hancock brings his tour to the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Thursday, August 13. Tickets are available https://redbuttegarden.org/concerts/. —Ryan Michael Painter

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