As the LA Phil’s Creative Chair for Jazz, Herbie Hancock made his return to the Walt Disney Concert Hall with a talented band that features talented trumpet player Terence Blanchard
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 4/7/23 – At the ripe young age of 82, Herbie Hancock continues to play with the verve and virtuosity that made him a keyboard jazz legend. At the Walt Disney Concert Hall on April 2, 2023., the excitement in the audience before the band takes the stage is downright palpable. A wave of enthusiasm is crashing over the horizon, and you can taste the joy in the air.
When Herbie Hancock takes the stage with his incredible band, you understand why the Los Angeles Philharmonic chose this man as the LA Phil’s Creative Chair for Jazz. He opens the show, allowing everyone on stage to shine, with a jamboree of musical styles. Indeed, the historical rhythms and classic tunes combine and intersect to create living art.
From our seats right above the master’s piano and synthesizers, you can see the reflection of his hands on the grand piano as he plays. Electric and magical, a magnificent illusion of two dueling hands battling across the keys is astounding to behold. In the sixth decade of his career, the man has not lost a beat or a step. Instead, his fingers reveal a dexterity and power that takes your breath away as they have done for countless years.
The LA Phil becomes almost lyrical when speaking about their Creative Chair for Jazz. They write on the main website, “Herbie Hancock is a true icon of modern music. Throughout his explorations, he has transcended limitations and genres while maintaining his unmistakable voice. With an illustrious career spanning six decades and 14 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters, he continues to amaze audiences across the globe.”
Herbie Hancock’s band reflects his brilliance. Beyond being an incredible trumpet player who has won five Grammy Awards, Terence Blanchard has been nominated for two Academy Awards for composing the scores for Lee’s films BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods (2020). James Genus, the bass player for the Saturday Night Live band, plays with consistency and flair that keeps every song going by providing a rhythmic backbone. Born in Benin, Lionel Loueke brings an Afro-Caribbean flavor to his guitar playing as the instrument fulfills many roles, from a rhythm section to a vocal cry. As the band’s youngest member, Jaylen Petinaud is a powerhouse of keeping the beat.
Indeed, when the band plays, there is no question that they love performing for an audience. However, it also feels in a delightful way that they would enjoy just as much playing together in a basement with nobody else around. Of course, that basement would have to have awesome acoustics. Without a doubt, the number one focus of the band is a deep love for the music.
In a moving moment, the band paid tribute to American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, who died on March 2, 2023, at 89. A founding member of Weather Report who also played with Miles Davis, the loss of Shorter was a brutal body blow to Jazz lovers worldwide. The band celebrated his life by playing Footprints, the jazz standard that Shorter wrote. Before the song began, Herbie Hancock said he better play it well because Carolina Dos Santos, Wayne Shorter’s wife, was in the audience. The band made the maestro’s wife proud.
A final point to underline is Herbie Hancock’s generosity with each band member. Throughout the night, he gave each of them their moment and more, allowing them to shine like stars in the night sky. When Hancock connected his microphone to his synthesizer and sang, the words mixed into the melodies, revealing the original sound of autotuning. Indeed, if you want to see the Grandfather of many modern rappers and their tricks, Herbie Hancock is the man. With explorations into new sounds, filters, and the electric horizon, he brought and continues to bring the music to new and exciting places. From beginning to end, Herbie Hancock’s performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall was a joy to behold.