Herbie Hancock

HERBIE HANCOCK. American jazz musician, bandleader and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the post-bop sound. In the 1970s, he experimented with jazz fusion, funk and electro styles using a wide array of synthesizers and electronics. It was during this period that he released perhaps his best-known and most influential album Head Hunters. His best-known compositions include ; "Cantaloupe Island" / "Watermelon Man" / "Maiden Voyage" and "Chameleon" all of which are jazz standards. During the 1980s, he enjoyed a hit single with the electronic instrumental "Rockit" a collaboration with bassist/producer Bill Laswell. He has won an Academy Award and 14 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for his 2007 LP "River"