The 41st edition of the “Jazz in Vienna” festival has kept all its promises by welcoming artists from very diverse backgrounds whose common artistic impetus espouses “The Epic of Black Music”. Angélique Kidjo, the Big in Jazz Collective, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Glasper, George Benson, Fred Wesley, among others, lit up the 2022 line-up, supported by the impressive fervor of festival-goers! On July 12, 2022, pianist and conductor Herbie Hancock delivered an invigorating performance, surrounded by undeniable virtuosos.
Throughout the summer, the former partner of Miles Davis scoured the European stages. From London to Madrid, from Paris to Copenhagen, from Montreux to Vienna, Herbie Hancock arouses the cheers of spectators certainly aware that time is passing and that the maestro, however dashing octogenarian full of spirit, will not continue indefinitely to multiply the concerts on such a brisk pace. Although he seems to want to enjoy this very exciting tour with relish, although he lives in the present moment without ever projecting himself into the future, the feeling of witnessing a lap of honor imposes itself on our minds. . Herbie Hancock is now 82 years old, has transformed jazz and opened up an infinite space for experimentation. It is also not surprising that his current repertoire draws from different periods of his incredible destiny.
If the mood is electric, the intention is profoundly jazz. Herbie Hancock is an insatiable improviser whose rigorous mastery of harmony raises him to the rank of the greatest creators of our time. To achieve this level of excellence, he has always enlisted the services of fine instrumentalists capable of magnifying his works. In 2022, his partners are Lionel Loueke (guitar), Terence Blanchard (trumpet), James Genus (bass), Justin Tyson (drums). These incomparable talents bring their melodic and rhythmic ingenuity to perpetually reinvented historical compositions. What a pleasure to discover the rereadings of Watermelon Man, Cantaloupe Island, Actual Proof Where Chameleon that this dream quintet interprets with taste and application.
Herbie Hancock has long understood that music is a benefit to humanity and can appease consciences. So he draws on his memories to select tunes that the public will instantly recognize. He wants to provoke this thrill that brings balance and serenity. Initiator, in 2012, of International Jazz Day, he knows that jazz is a force for peace and wants to contribute to this surge of universal wisdom that he calls for. The planet is shaken by convolutions that he wants to ward off. The lyricism of a piano, attentive listening to crystalline notes, the positive fervor of a crowd in full communion, are in his eyes the keys to spiritual plenitude. May this inspired man be heard and thanked!
See you in Antibes on July 18, in Marseille on July 19, in Sète on July 20, in Marciac on July 27, 2022, to vibrate and meditate…
⇒ The website ofHerbie Hancock.