![]() This was part of the jazz great’s talent-he knew how to bring in the right people to expand his vision and creativity. He became something of a synth mentor for the band leader, teaching him technique, according to Hancock. ![]() Gleeson-who first appeared on a Hancock record with Crossings, adding Moog Modular to the electric mix-was originally hired as a synthesizer tech but was later asked to stay on as a member of the band. We would be remiss to not mention Patrick Gleeson at this point. Head Hunters, released in 1973 and recorded with the band Headhunters, sees Herbie making deft use of an ARP Odyssey and Soloist for the synthesizer parts. This is a simplification but in general, artists tended to work with either one or the other. This was true of rock ( Keith Emerson’s famous Moog Modular versus Edgar Winter’s ARP 2600), funk (James Brown and a Moog Minimoog and Kool And The Gang and The Commodores with ARP 2600s), and of course jazz (Chick Corea’s Minimoog and Joe Zawinul’s dual 2600s). Consequently, most musicians were either on team Moog or team ARP. In the early 1970s there just weren’t that many synthesizers on the market. We’ll use this as a road map to trace his career from the early 1970s to the early 1980s, and highlight how his use of gear informed not only his own sound but popular music in general. Hancock has never been secretive or precious about his gear, either, helpfully listing his instruments on most of his record jackets. This open-mindedness would go on to serve Hancock time and time again, both in working with electronic gear (synthesizers, drum machines, samplers) and in embracing new styles of music (funk, disco, hip-hop). It sounded beautiful! From that I learned not to form an opinion on something you have no experience of." I asked Miles what he wanted me to play, and he said 'Play that.' I was thinking 'That toy?' Then I turned it on and was really surprised by the sound. "In the corner of the room was only this Wurlitzer electric piano that I'd never played before. ![]() "We were doing a recording session with Miles, and when I came into the studio I didn't see any acoustic piano anywhere," Hancock said in an interview with Sound On Sound magazine in 2002. He credits Miles as helping open his mind to the kinds of musical possibilities beyond the piano specifically and jazz more broadly as well. Formerly a classical music child prodigy, Hancock joined Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet in 1963. What’s particularly shocking is that Hancock started as something of a piano purist. Herbie Hancock onstage at the Monterey Jazz Festival, 1972.
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