Herbie Hancock
piano
Pianist and composer (born 1940, Chicago); Barry used him as his example of a star who makes money in Hollywood with rhythm and blues and rock and roll, then headlines jazz festivals.
- mentions
- 6
- recordings
- 5
- Barry speaking
- 6
What Barry says
Barry finds it ridiculous that Herbie Hancock, whom he describes as making money in Hollywood playing rhythm and blues and rock and roll, can then turn up as the star of a jazz festival. He admits he is prejudiced against that kind of music.
Believe: a talk to musicians11:27Jazz schools and the basics1:061:39
Barry names Hancock with Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter as what jam-session players think jazz is, and says he does not agree.
Jazz schools and the basics0:00Believe: a talk to musicians1:10Brian Jude de Lima, Reanimating Dissonance: Cultivating the Antecedents of Barry Harris’ Concept of Movement as a Multidimensional Pedagogical Tool for Ontario Post-Secondary Jazz Curricula ¶908Brian Jude de Lima, Reanimating Dissonance: Cultivating the Antecedents of Barry Harris’ Concept of Movement as a Multidimensional Pedagogical Tool for Ontario Post-Secondary Jazz Curricula ¶909
Nowadays, Barry says, there are many piano stars, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, and players name different favourites; his generation had one star. Ask Chick Corea, Bill Evans or Wynton Kelly who the best pianist is, he says, and they would answer Bud Powell.
Barry will not let anyone, not even Coltrane, Miles or Herbie Hancock, lead him away from Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell.
Ep.1 | Everything no one has ever told you about jazz | Barry Harris0:06
Talking about the Chicago pianist Chris Anderson, Barry guesses that if you interviewed Herbie Hancock he would probably mention Anderson, since older Chicago pianists all do.
In his own words
Here he is in Hollywood, making money, playing rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and then all of a sudden... He’s gonna be the star of the jazz festival.
I won’t let no one stray me from that. Not even Coltrane, Miles, Herbie Hancock, none of that stuff.
I think, probably if you interviewed Herbie Hancock, he might mention Chris Anderson’s name. You interview a pianist – an older pianist from Chicago, they have to mention Chris Anderson.
They think Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and Herbie... Hancock—they think that’s “jazz.” I don’t quite agree with that at all... I don’t consider it jazz
Every mention
6 moments in the recordings, 6 of them Barry speaking. Each says who is talking.
Believe: a talk to musicians
- 11:27
Can’t see how Herbie Hancock, making money in Hollywood with R&B and rock, headlines jazz festivals.
Jazz schools and the basics
Interview: Detroit, Bud Powell and the shuffle
- 9:37
Today there are many stars like Hancock, Jarrett and Corea; his generation had one, Bud Powell.
Ep.1 | Everything no one has ever told you about jazz | Barry Harris
- 0:06
Won’t let anyone, not even Herbie Hancock, stray him from Bird, Dizzy and Bud.
Barry Harris2 2
- 16:34
The same speech excerpt in a workshop film; caption reads ‘harry hancock’.
In the interviews and notes
Barry thinks Herbie Hancock, if interviewed, would probably mention the older Chicago pianist Chris Anderson, as any Chicago pianist must; the older pianist Barry himself would name is Willie Anderson.
A forum member who spoke with Barry weekly asked why he was so hard on Herbie and Miles. Barry said he hated them because they had deserted the music (of the 1940s to early 1960s, the poster adds), then mimicked a rhythm one of them played, and would not budge.
jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Tom Jobim - Wave Analysis using Barry Harris Method ¶484jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Tom Jobim - Wave Analysis using Barry Harris Method ¶485jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Tom Jobim - Wave Analysis using Barry Harris Method ¶486jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Tom Jobim - Wave Analysis using Barry Harris Method ¶488jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Tom Jobim - Wave Analysis using Barry Harris Method ¶490
De Lima transcribes Barry’s Almeria speech naming Herbie Hancock with Miles Davis, Coltrane and Wayne Shorter as what people take for jazz, and files it under Barry’s criticism of the newer generation.
Brian Jude de Lima, Reanimating Dissonance: Cultivating the Antecedents of Barry Harris’ Concept of Movement as a Multidimensional Pedagogical Tool for Ontario Post-Secondary Jazz Curricula ¶908Brian Jude de Lima, Reanimating Dissonance: Cultivating the Antecedents of Barry Harris’ Concept of Movement as a Multidimensional Pedagogical Tool for Ontario Post-Secondary Jazz Curricula ¶916
Method ideas nearby
Ideas of the method taught in the classes where they come up, with how many mentions fall in each.
- 0.3Rules matter more than scales; everything by logic2
- 15.2Bebop, tradition, and what is wrong with jazz education2
- 3.1The raw materials2
- 1.4Triplets and thinking in six1
- 11.1Two hands together1
- 11.2Keep the left hand low and make it interesting1
- 12.2Know the song; learn many songs; find your key1
- 14.3Learn from the masters by ear; study the small things1