Happy Birthday, Herbie Hancock

Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock turns 74 today. He was born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois.

Len Lyons called Hancock "one of the most versatile musicians in jazz, the creator of modally based modern jazz, a funky brand of fusion … and experimental, electronically garnished free jazz …" Hancock was part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet" and one of the primary creators of the "post-bop" sound in jazz. He currently serves as the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of Intercultural Dialogue.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends three of Hancock's albums:

• Maiden Voyage (Blue Note), which is available on CD from Amazon.com.
  
• Speak Like a Child (Blue Note), which is available on CD from Amazon.com.
  
• Head Hunters (Columbia), the first gold album in jazz history and available on CD from Amazon.com.
  

Hancock plays "Watermelon Man," from his album Head Hunters, here:

Robert
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