Herbie Hancock

Herbert Jeffrey Herbie Hancock is an American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer and actor. Starting his career with Donald Byrd, he shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet where Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the postbop sound. He was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace synthesizers and funk music. Hancocks music is often melodic and accessible he has had many songs cross over and achieved success among pop audiences. His music embraces elements of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz. In his jazz improvisation, he possesses a unique creative blend of jazz, blues, and modern classical music, with harmonic stylings much like the styles of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

Hancock was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Winnie Belle , a secretary, and Wayman Edward Hancock, a government meat inspector. His parents named him after the singer and actor Herb Jeffries. He attended the Wendell Phillips High School. Like many jazz pianists, Hancock started with a classical music education. He studied from age seven, and his talent was recognized early. Considered a child prodigy, he played the first movement of Mozarts Piano Concerto No.in D Major, K. 537 at a young peoples concert on February 5, 1952, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the age of 11.

Source: Wikipedia