Smooth Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock turns 67 today (April 12th). Herbie's recent album, Possibilities, paired the keyboardist with a range of contemporary artists, including Christina Aguilera, John Mayer, Annie Lennox, Carlos Santana, Sting and Paul Simon, among others. A documentary about the making of the all-star album, titled Herbie Hancock: Possibilities, was released on DVD last year.

 Born in Chicago, Hancock began playing piano at age seven and four years later was performing a Mozart concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Hancock joined Miles Davis' quintet in 1963. By the early '70s, he was experimenting with electronic devices, rock and world music, such as on his groundbreaking 1973 album, Headhunters. In 1977 he reunited with members of the Davis quintet, without Davis, on the tour stop recording V.S.O.P., featuring Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams.

The burgeoning of hip-hop and advances in music technology inspired Hancock to record 1983's groundbreaking Future Shock, featuring the quirky single "Rockit." The tune has been credited with helping to popularize hip-hop as a legitimate musical form. The single won a Grammy in 1983 as best instrumental R&B song. Hancock told us: "I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and fortunately, it was my record that really brought hip-hop to the general public and the international public."

In 1987 Hancock won an Oscar for his soundtrack to the movie Round Midnight. The film, which is set in Paris in 1959, starred now-deceased saxophone legend Dexter Gordon as a down-and-out expatriate jazz musician who is saved from self-destruction by a loyal fan. Although Hancock has created the music for numerous films -- including Death Wish, Blow Up, Harlem Nights, and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling -- he said Round Midnight was particularly significant to him because it gave him a chance to celebrate the jazz greats who had struggled for their art: "I'm actually honored to have worked on that film for what it represents and for the fact that I was given the opportunity to speak for a lot of people that have gone before me, many of whom have died to keep the music alive. Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday and many, many others."

In 2006, Hancock attended the 21st annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York to accept the award for the late Miles Davis. In his induction speech, Hancock recalled a special onstage moment with Davis: "One time in Spain, during Cyndi Lauper's 'Time After Time,' he played the tag at the end of the song -- over and over and over again -- with short phrases, that were so inventive, so arresting, so masterful, that I couldn't contain myself. I started laughing and crying real tears because it was so fresh and beautiful. Miles once said to me, 'You only need to play one note -- the right one.'"

Happy birthday, Herbie! 


For more about Herbie, visit his website at:  www.herbiehancock.com. 


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