Music isn't about music, it's about life.
Herbie HancockRead
Jazz is about being in the moment.
Interpretation
Jazz emphasizes living in the present and embracing spontaneity.
Herbie Hancock's quote underscores the essence of jazz music, which is centered around improvisation and being fully engaged in the moment. This reflects a broader life philosophy of appreciating the now, rather than being overly concerned with past or future.
In practice
During a music workshop, I quoted Herbie Hancock to emphasize the importance of improvisation.
Music isn't about music, it's about life.
I don't mind being classified as a jazz artist, but I do mind being restricted to being a jazz artist. My foundation has been in jazz, though I didn't really start out that way. I started in classical music, but my formative years were in jazz, and it makes a great foundation.
In World War II, jazz absolutely was the music of freedom, and then in the Cold War, behind the Iron Curtain, same thing. It was all underground, but they needed the food of freedom that jazz offered.
I think people have learned that Herbie Hancock can be defined as someone that you won't be able to figure out what he's going to do next. The sky is the limit as far as I'm concerned.
One thing that sticks in my mind is that jazz means freedom and openness. It's a music that, although it developed out of the African American experience, speaks more about the human experience than the experience of a particular people.
I started off with classical music, and I got into jazz when I was about 14 years old. And I've been playing jazz ever since.
The difference between blues, jazz, rock n' roll and rap is that rap stayed poor. Even the white rappers are poor. It's scarier to look at poor people; it makes everyone uncomfortable. Their pain is something that people would like to see swept under the rug.
Most frontmen are not born hams like David Lee Roth. We're more like Joey Ramone: awkward geeks who somehow find our place in the world on the stage.
Let's face it. Rock and Roll is bigger than all of us
Every time you pick up your guitar to play, play as if it's the last time.
I get a thrill meeting kids who are into alternative music.
Relax, ease back in your seats and let the music take you wherever it does.
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