Lang Lang performs with Herbie Hancock at the White House State Dinner 1.19.11
I was deeply honored to have been invited to perform at the White House recently. The two pieces I played were, one, Maurice Ravel’s “Ma mere l’Oye” (Mother Goose) for four hands, the other, a Chinese piece called “My Motherland”. I selected this song because it has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. It was selected for no other reason but for the beauty of its melody. I am, first and foremost, an artist. As such, I play music to bring people together. America and China are my two homes. I am most grateful to the United States for providing me with such wonderful opportunities, both in my musical studies and for furthering my career. I couldn’t be who I am today without those two countries. My mission is to bridge cultures together through the beauty and inspiration of music. Lang Lang ——– Lang Lang playing 4hands with jazz musician Herbie Hancock, and then playing a solo piece named “my motherland”. Recorded at the White House State Dinner in honor of Chinese President Hu Jintao 1.19.11 facebook.com twitter.com
Chameleon [Part I] – Herbie Hancock (1973)
“Chameleon” is a jazz standard composed by Herbie Hancock in collaboration with Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson and Harvey Mason, all of whom also performed the original version on the 1973 landmark album “Head Hunters”, featuring solos by Hancock and Maupin. The song has a characteristic bass line and is set to a funky beat. Another notable aspect of the song is that it is built entirely on a two-chord vamp (Bm7 and E7 – a progression now quite common in modern music). “Head Hunters” is the twelfth album by Herbie Hancock, released in 1973 on Columbia Records. The album is a key release in Hancock’s career and a defining moment in the genre of jazz fusion. It was ranked as number 498 in the book version of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2007, the Library of Congress added “Head Hunters” to the National Recording Registry, which collects ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically important’ sound recordings from the 20th century. At the time of the 1992 CD reissue, it was the largest-selling jazz album of all time, and has been an inspiration not only for jazz musicians, but also to funk, soul music, jazz funk and hip hop artists. Herbert Jeffrey ‘Herbie’ Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist and composer. He is regarded as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. His music embraces elements of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz. This channel is dedicated to the classic jazz music you …
Herbie Hancock & John Mayer Stitched Up
Herbert Jeffrey “Herbie” Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American pianist, bandleader and composer.[1] As part of Miles Davis’s “second great quintet”, Hancock helped redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section, and was one of the primary architects of the “post-bop” sound. He was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace synthesizers and funk. Hancock’s music is often melodic and accessible; he has had many songs “cross over” and achieved success among pop audiences. His music embraces elements of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz. In his jazz improvisation, he possesses a unique creative blend of jazz, blues, and modern classical music, with harmonic stylings much like the styles of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Hancock’s best-known solo works include “Cantaloupe Island”, “Watermelon Man” (later performed by dozens of musicians, including bandleader Mongo Santamaria.
Herbie Hancock – Doin’ it
Herbert Jeffrey “Herbie” Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is a jazz pianist and composer. His music embraces elements of rock and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz. As part of Miles Davis’s “second great quintet”, Hancock helped redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section, and was one of the primary architects of the “post-bop” sound. Later, he was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace synthesizers and funk. Yet for all his restless experimentalism, Hancock’s music is often melodic and accessible; he has had many songs “cross over” and achieved success among pop audiences. Source (Wikipedia)