Herbie Hancock Memoir

[Chuck Nessa]

Might be the first time I "ignore".

[AllenLowe]

1) just realized I can't listen to All God's Children Got Rhythm any more. Will have to stick with Reets and I.

2) Joel - it was Skinny Bergen on bass - Skinny was a friend of mine, sweeheart of a guy; I got him into the West End, as a matter of fact; I introduced him to Percy, IIRC. He was a terrific player, had worked with Hamp; played at my wedding in 1982.

3) Thanks, Phunkey, for the compliment, but you spelled the CD title wrong; though anyone who CALLS himself Phunkey cannot possibly know what funk is. Kinda like a Jew named Brent.

[robertoart]

I think I will always be involved with youth-oriented music because I haven't forgotten that I was young once. The seeds of youth will stay alive as long as you don't kill them.

-- Herbie Hancock

Bill Laswell On Producing Future2Future

"The making of the four albums Herbie and I did together happened through a fairly similar process, whereby I originated pretty much everything, and Herbie responded to that," Laswell explained. "But his involvement in Future2Future went much further than with the 1980s albums. He seemed a lot more involved and focussed in our latest project. In the 1980s he pretty much soloed on top of backings I'd made, but now he created parts that could be used as structure. Of course, the tracks we did in the 1980s were much more minimal, with less harmonic content and less freedom for improvisation. At the time techno had not really happened yet, so what we did was a juxtaposition of repetitive electronic music originating from Europe and hip-hop that at that point came from the south Bronx, and mixed this with Herbie's basic jazz riffs.

"At the time it was unheard-of to have jazz-related chord movements and solos over basic, repetitive rhythms. But today it is quite common. Carl Craig, who performs on Future2Future, creates techno patterns with jazz material on top. And Rob Swift, another collaborator, started playing turntables because when he was 11 he heard 'Rockit'. Herbie also influenced techno with a track called 'Nobu' from an album called Dedication [1974] that was only released in Japan. 'Nobu' was a live track with sequencers and it was really the foundation of techno. Future2Future is interesting because of these artists that have come full circle in now working with Herbie. It is very rare that an artist can come back to recapture the flow from what he did 20 years ago, and at the same time extend the direction into something new. I think we were able to utilise Herbie's jazz capabilities to a much larger degree on Future2Future.

[7/4]

I think I listened to Future2Future once when it came out and filed it. I don't know if I want to get it out to refresh my empty memory.

[fasstrack]

Skinny Bergen! It was so long ago. Nice guy, good player. Anyone Percy got would have to be, assuming he put the band together for Heller (the owner). But I can't assume. I remember being worried for the guy b/c Jones had been so cold. Then he was sitting in the back at a booth w/some Get Whitey types who were kissing his ass over him putting Carisi down. They were laughing. What a JAMF The Great Papa Jo Jones was that night. But he was also old, frail, and sick. He looked terrible, drawn and gaunt-so I should have 'rachmonis' too. So this Skinny, he had it nailed. I mentioned to him how Jo came in wrong, then trashed the band. 'He has a lot of image to protect'. Then he waved his hand to close the discussion. A good man for sure.

[bertrand]

I am REALLY looking forward to reading Herbie's book in 2014!

Bertrand.

[Noj]

"Rockit" is a 80s hip hop/breakdance classic, along the same lines as these tracks:

Herbie could just hear what was happening, so naturally he could, well...rock it. It's just groovy dance shit with that 80s sensibility. And great stuff, imho. It's not jazz, and it's not supposed to be. Jazz *does* more than this, but the dancefloor doesn't want music to do more.

[ValerieB]

I am REALLY looking forward to reading Herbie's book in 2014!

Bertrand.

Bertrand, how dare you go off-topic?!? LOL!!

[7/4]

I am REALLY looking forward to reading Herbie's book in 2014!

Bertrand.

Bertrand, how dare you go off-topic?!? LOL!!

I'm curious, at least.

[AllenLowe]

Herbie who? Isn't that the name of a car?

[mikeweil]

Not yet ...

I saw the Future2Future band live, and it was great, Herbie really making a statement beyond music as well, like offering himself to be a leading figure in jazz after MIles' passing. He wouldn't be a bad choice for that position, IMHO ...

[AllenLowe]

Bertrand - you can wait until 2014. I'm gonna review it even before I read it: how's this?

"Herbie, one of the leading pianists in jazz, writes with a child-like innocence of his days with Miles, disco ducks, groovy days and funky nights."

[.:.impossible]

Maybe the book will go like Ken Burns' Jazz Allen. The last thirty years will get one chapter.

[AllenLowe]

the condensed version -

[AllenLowe]

just this sneak excerpt from the new bio:

Herbie The Love Bug

Date of Birth

1963, Wolfsburg, Germany

Mini Biography

Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle, has worked alongside human stars ranging from Dean Jones, Buddy Hackett, Don Knotts, Helen Hayes, and Cloris Leachman to Lindsay Lohan, Matt Dillon, and Michael Keaton. Herbie received his first on-screen credit in the 1969 hit 'The Love Bug'. Set against the backdrop of San Francisco, 'The Love Bug' featured Herbie saving the day as he fueled a down-on-his-luck racecar driver's quest for victory and romance. Initially unmarked and all white, Herbie was emblazoned with his famous number "53" to compete in the races.

Herbie then took the title role in 'Herbie Rides Again' (1974), 'Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo' (1977) and 'Herbie Goes Bananas' (1980). He also had a television career, with the 1997 telefilm 'The Love Bug'. Along the way, he inspired many imitators and collected die-hard fans.

Herbie appears in 'Herbie: Fully Loaded' (2005) alongside Lindsay Lohan, playing four different roles: Junk Yard Herbie, Tricked-Out Herbie, Demolition Derby Herbie and NASCAR Herbie. 38 different VW Beetles were used in the production, and Herbie achieved a top speed of 132 MPH during his NASCAR racing scenes.

Edited April 19, 2012 by AllenLowe

[fasstrack]

just this sneak excerpt from the new bio:

Herbie The Love Bug

Date of Birth

1963, Wolfsburg, Germany

Mini Biography

Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle, has worked alongside human stars ranging from Dean Jones, Buddy Hackett, Don Knotts, Helen Hayes, and Cloris Leachman to Lindsay Lohan, Matt Dillon, and Michael Keaton. Herbie received his first on-screen credit in the 1969 hit 'The Love Bug'. Set against the backdrop of San Francisco, 'The Love Bug' featured Herbie saving the day as he fueled a down-on-his-luck racecar driver's quest for victory and romance. Initially unmarked and all white, Herbie was emblazoned with his famous number "53" to compete in the races.

Herbie then took the title role in 'Herbie Rides Again' (1974), 'Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo' (1977) and 'Herbie Goes Bananas' (1980). He also had a television career, with the 1997 telefilm 'The Love Bug'. Along the way, he inspired many imitators and collected die-hard fans.

Herbie appears in 'Herbie: Fully Loaded' (2005) alongside Lindsay Lohan, playing four different roles: Junk Yard Herbie, Tricked-Out Herbie, Demolition Derby Herbie and NASCAR Herbie. 38 different VW Beetles were used in the production, and Herbie achieved a top speed of 132 MPH during his NASCAR racing scenes.

Allen: School still off and the kids away, are they? Say no more. Wink wink. Nod nod........

[fasstrack]

Might be the first time I "ignore".

I had a problem writing from my cell phone. Didn't mean to do it. Besides, everyone here knows I don't need triplicate to annoy you. 'Singlecate' will do fine

Do you think we could co-host a show a la Tavis and Cornel? Two Pissed Off Middle-Aged (Oh screw it, Old) White Guys That Like Jazz (One who Thinks He's Funny). Hosted by Geritol? I'll drink it on the air, you don't have to.... Scratch that. Um, Chuck and Joel's Dance Party?

[JSngry]

Scratch that. Um, Chuck and Joel's Dance Party?

Now that Dick Clark's gone...

[Patrick]

...and Don Cornelius

[JSngry]

whoa...that's opportunity with a capital OH!!!

[fasstrack]

Scratch that. Um, Chuck and Joel's Dance Party?

Now that Dick Clark's gone...

Would it be in bad taste to say he was an opportunist and bullshitter that made me ashamed of our dumb-ass culture? I guess I just did. Sorry for the lousy timing and I know I yell at others when they do this 'cause it's just not nice. I know a lot of people liked him and I'm sorry he died and was sick and all, but guys like Clark, Kasey Kasem (or however you spell it this week).....Matt Lauer, anyone?...everyone who looks to stupidity, laziness, and arrested adolescence, especially of the intellectual ilk to climb usually gets there and rakes it in in the US. As Bill Finegan said, we're 'a nation of Barbarians'. Edited April 19, 2012 by fasstrack

[JSngry]

I'm totally ok with being a nation of barbarians. Not so ok with the disappearance of viable alternatives, though.

Give me a viable alternative, and I'll most always be ok with the existence of to whatever it is a viable alternative.

And how do you not like the $XX(X),XXX.XX Pyramid? C'mon dude, "Things A Shoe Would Say", that's the reals right there!

[fasstrack]

I'm totally ok with being a nation of barbarians. Not so ok with the disappearance of viable alternatives, though.

Give me a viable alternative, and I'll most always be ok with the existence of to whatever it is a viable alternative.

And how do you not like the $XX(X),XXX.XX Pyramid? C'mon dude, "Things A Shoe Would Say", that's the reals right there!

There's one born every minute....

[JSngry]

Things P.T. Barnum would say?

[fasstrack]

That's why they paid him the Big Money and bubkis to schmoes like you and me, thank you very much-with a rabid stray with yellow duct tape over his eye like a fucked-up Pete howling in a bleak, unvegetated landscape-one neither Tom Waits nor Fakey Foont would wipe their asses on. What? Er, OK. My attendant 'Cuddles' said something about 'too much excitement'. And to get my ass back to my room. NOW...