Hancock was born in Chicago, the son of Winnie Belle (Griffin), a secretary, and Wayman Edward Hancock, a government meat inspector. His parents named him after the singer and actor Herb Jeffries.[5] He attended Hyde Park High School.[6] Like many jazz pianists, Hancock started with a classical music education.[7] He studied from age seven, and his talent was recognized early. Considered a child prodigy,[8] he played the first movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 26 in D Major, K. 537 (Coronation) at a young people's concert on February 5, 1952, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (led by CSO assistant conductor George Schick) at age 11.
Through his teens, Hancock never had a jazz teacher; however, he developed his ear and sense of harmony. He was also influenced by records of the vocal group the Hi-Lo's. In his words:
...by the time I actually heard the Hi-Lo's, I started picking that stuff out; my ear was happening. I could hear stuff and that's when I really learned some much farther-out voicings – like the harmonies I used on Speak Like a Child – good just being able to do that. I really got that from Clare Fischer's arrangements for the Hi-Lo's. Clare Fischer was a major influence on my harmonic concept...he and Bill Evans, and Ravel and Gil Evans, finally. You know, that's where it came from.
In 1960, he heard Chris Anderson play just once and begged him to accept him as a student.[11] Hancock often mentions Anderson as his harmonic guru.
Mint Condition
Product code: Good Herbie Handcock