The jazz world pays tribute to a true legend today (April 12). US pianist and composer Herbie Hancock has turned 80, so how better to celebrate than to delve into some of the key albums from his multifaceted career that spans six decades.
From the funk odyssey of Head Hunters to the intimacy of Gershwin's World, Hancock's style has taken him far and wide.
Speaking to The National in 2014, he reflected on his career, saying his embrace of the unknown has been responsible for his success.
"I believe that change is a very important colour for life,” he said. “It allows for continual evolution, continual development, continual surprises and growth. I welcome change. I love change. It is one of my most important inspirations."
Here are five classic albums showcasing the various changes of Hancock’s storied career.
'Maiden Voyage' (1956)
This is the album on which Hancock comes into his own as both composer and band leader. After being under the tutelage of Miles Davis for two years, Hancock took on some of the master's penchant for understated yet quietly challenging pieces that expanded the outer reaches of jazz. The arrangements here are adventurous without sacrificing any of the inherent melody central to his work. This is best exemplified in the yearning title song, which has become a jazz standard, as well the shimmering Dolphin Dance.
'Crossings' (1972)
One of the most "out there" albums recorded by Hancock with his experimental group Mwandishi. That said, despite its spaced-out Moog synthesisers, African percussion and off-kilter saxophones, the album remains a remarkably cogent piece of work. This is primarily because of Hancock's strident playing on the Fender Rhodes electric piano – some of his groovy riffs hint at the funk-centric approach of his future works.
'Head Hunters' (1973)
After having his head in the clouds on a string of esoteric albums with previous band Mwandishi, Hancock returns to earth with this stone-cold funk classic. Gone is the avant-garde approach of Mwandishi as Hancock embraces groove. The album is taut, gritty and chock-full of chunky bass or keyboard riffs; it remains a goldmine for hip-hop producers to sample.
'Future Shock' (1983)
Another example of Hancock's restless muse. After becoming a pop star courtesy of his big-selling Head Hunters, Hancock ditched the funk stylings to embrace technology in this forward-thinking release. Future Shock remains influential in both the jazz and hip-hop worlds, as it melds funk with drum machines, sequences and DJ scratching. It also spawned the hit Rock It.
'Gershwin’s World' (1998)
One of the most underrated works in Hancock's oeuvre. This is a loving tribute to composer George Gershwin and shows a deeper and soulful side of Hancock’s playing. With a star-studded guest line-up that includes folk hero Joni Mitchell and legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter, this is a wonderful journey into the work of one of the 20th century's greatest composers.
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Read more:
Herbie Hancock on life, Jazz and technology
'Birth of the Cool': 9 ways Miles Davis changed the music scene forever
Remembering Manu Dibango: what I learned from watching the African jazz legend soundcheck
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
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The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
