Jazz legend Herbie Hancock, one of the greatest musicians of all time, finds comfort in knowing that he, too, struggles with modern-day procrastination—just like the rest of us.
“I fall into rabbit holes on YouTube. A lot of them. New music writing software, things about health, tech things,” he admits.
That, he explains, is why he hasn’t released an album in 15 years.
“I get victimized by it, so to speak, but that’s life,” he chuckles.
Speaking from his home in West Hollywood, the remarkably energetic 84-year-old pianist has always embraced technology. But usually, he’s the one mastering it—not the other way around.
#1Hancock’s Legacy: Over Half a Century of Musical Innovation
Discovered by trumpeter Donald Byrd in the early 1960s, Herbie Hancock quickly made his mark on jazz, signing with Blue Note Records and composing timeless standards like Watermelon Man, Cantaloupe Island, and Maiden Voyage.
By the 1970s, he was pioneering the use of synthesizers, fusing jazz with funk on the groundbreaking Head Hunters album. The 1980s saw him push boundaries again, embracing turntablism and scratching to create Rockit, a global hit that won five awards at the inaugural MTV Music Awards, thanks in part to its iconic dancing robots video.
His influence extends far beyond jazz—Deee-Lite’s Groove Is in the Heart borrows its signature riff from his Blow-Up soundtrack, while artists like Madonna, Janet Jackson, and N.W.A. have sampled his work.
Even in the 21st century, Hancock continues to break barriers. In 2008, he defied expectations by winning the Grammy for Album of the Year, beating out artists like Amy Winehouse and Kanye West.
#2Herbie Hancock Joins the Prestigious Ranks of Polar Music Prize Laureates
The reason for our conversation is Hancock’s recent recognition as one of this year’s recipients of the prestigious Polar Music Prize—often described as the closest thing to a Nobel Prize for music.
Previous honorees include legends like Sir Paul McCartney, Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Quincy Jones.
"It's a huge, fantastic list of people I've admired," Hancock says, before highlighting his joy that saxophonist Wayne Shorter received the honor in 2017, six years before his passing. Together, they formed two-fifths of Miles Davis’s iconic Second Great Quintet.
#3Working with Miles Davis: A Defining Musical Journey
Joy spreads across Hancock’s face as he recalls the years between 1964 and 1968, when he toured the world alongside the man Rolling Stone once called “the most revered jazz trumpeter of all time.”
"I was always frightened playing with Miles," he laughs.
"It was very intimidating. I always wanted to be at my best because I admired him so much. He was such a big part of my own development as a musician.
"It was fear on one hand. On the other hand, it was exciting. And when things were at their best, it was really inspiring. When we were all in sync, that made life worth living."
#4Navigating Miles Davis's Unpredictable Temper
On Hancock’s favorite distraction—YouTube—there’s a widely viewed clip with nearly five million plays, capturing a tense moment from a 1964 performance in Milan. In it, a visibly furious Miles Davis abruptly stops his solo, shooting a piercing glare at Hancock.
Online debates rage about what triggered this onstage outburst, but for Hancock, it was just another day in the band.
"A lot of times I would be surprised at what would upset Miles, what would make him a little angry. I didn’t always know. He was not always easy to figure out, so I got used to that slight discomfort," he says with a grin.
"That’s life. But I was always looking to learn from those discomforts."
#5A Lesson from Miles: The Audience Matters
As Hancock prepares for his upcoming European tour this summer—including three UK dates at London’s Barbican—he reflects on a valuable lesson he learned from Miles Davis about reading a crowd.
Slipping into a deep, gravelly whisper, he launches into a full-on Miles Davis impression, recreating a moment from the mid-1960s when the legendary trumpeter gave him a blunt warning:
"If all you see are dudes in the audience, that means your music is dead."
For a brief moment, Herbie Hancock is Miles Davis, delivering his wisdom with dramatic flair. It’s a glorious sight.
"He used more expletives than I just did," Hancock laughs. "But you get the idea," clearly enjoying his own performance as much as I did.
#6The Piano: A Lifetime of Discovery and Emotion
After nearly 80 years at the piano, Herbie Hancock still finds profound joy in the instrument—so much so that, on occasion, he ends up in tears while playing.
"If I’ve solved some kind of problem that I’ve had with the tune and made some kind of discovery that surpassed my expectations, I’ve been known to cry, to have tears coming down my face."
Curious, I ask what kind of problem could bring a jazz legend to tears.
"It’s difficult to explain," he admits. "But trying to make something work out where there’s no easy answer. Where, ‘this is not supposed to work,’ but ‘how can I make it work?’"
#7Inside the Mind of a Musical Genius
It feels like we’ve been given a rare invitation into Hancock’s mind, watching the gears turn—rapidly.
"There may be something that I want to connect, but all the ways I know of connecting them are not the solution. And I have to find some other means," he explains.
"And sometimes that [means] can come from looking at it in a different way. And not necessarily through music."
This insight offers a glimpse into what separates a true musical genius from the rest of us—an unrelenting curiosity, a willingness to explore the unknown, and the ability to find solutions where none seem to exist.
#8Herbie Hancock on AI: An Optimist’s Perspective
With a background in electrical engineering, it’s no surprise that Hancock has taken a keen interest in the rise of Artificial Intelligence. Unlike many who fear its implications, he chooses to embrace it.
While he acknowledges concerns about AI’s lack of an ethical framework, he flips the argument on its head:
"Who are the worst examples of understanding ethics and being able to live a life with ethics? We, human beings—we’re the worst, right?"
And he doesn’t stop there.
"I have this feeling that AI is going to help us all understand and get closer to becoming more ethically responsible people—helping each other instead of hurting or killing each other. Helping the planet instead of killing the planet with environmental issues."
For Hancock, AI isn’t a threat—it’s an opportunity.
#9Herbie Hancock’s Simple Advice for the AI Era
The man who once released an album called Future Shock has a straightforward approach to navigating the rise of AI: treat it with respect.
"When I’m using ChatGPT or Siri on my iPhone, I always say thank you, and they usually say, ‘You’re welcome.’"
"I try to treat AI like it’s human, and it actually manifests itself in an extremely positive way—and that makes me feel better."
At 84, Hancock is still looking ahead, determined to future-proof himself—one polite interaction at a time, with the robots firmly on his side.
#10Herbie Hancock on Practice: A Relatable Struggle
Before we wrap up, I ask a question on behalf of parents everywhere. My 11-year-old, Charlie, loves playing the piano but hates practicing. What advice would Hancock give?
He nods knowingly.
"I understand your pain. I don’t like practicing either."
He pauses, thinking carefully before adding:
"But you know, I look at it as, ‘OK, this is something—even if I don’t want to do it—I need to do it.’ And once I get into it, then I feel like I’ve conquered an obstacle in my life."
Another pause, then a reflective conclusion:
"I don’t always win that battle, but I’ve gotten to this point. So I guess I didn’t lose a lot of battles."
And has he practiced today?
"No. I didn’t today. And I probably won’t."
He bursts into laughter—one last moment of candid honesty—before heading off to enjoy the rest of his day, likely with a few more YouTube rabbit holes to explore.
Herbie Hancock will be presented with the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 27, 2025.
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