The Grammy -Winning Pianist on His Favorite Jazz Takes on Pop Songs

Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition, February 16 - 17, 2008
by Lymeka Little

Herbie Hancock's win for album of the year at the 50th-annual Grammy Awards came as a shock to many in the music industry - Mr. Hancock included. The jazz pianist's winning album, "River: The Joni Letters", pays homage to folk singer Joni Mitchell, whom he calls a "genius lyric writer" and a "renaissance person". A former child prodigy who once played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Hancock has been performing for more than 45 years. We talked to Mr. Hancock recently aobut his favorite jazz covers of pop songs.

'Emily' by Bill Evans
from 'Further Conversations With Myself'
"I love the melody," says Mr. Hancock of the tune, which appeared in its original form in the movie "The Americanization of Emily". Mr. Evans "was such an amazing player, with a gorgeous touch."

'Time After Time' by Miles Davis
from 'You're Under Arrest...'
"He did it with his infamous muted trumpet sound," says Mr. Hancock of the tune, which was co-written and first performed by Cyndi Lauper. "It gives a depth and body to the song in a way that only Miles could do."

'My Favorite Things' by John Coltrane
from 'My Favorite Things'
The Rodgers and Hammerstein tune was made popular by "The Sound of Music". Mr. Coltrane "puts a kind of an exotic flavor on the song, and a rhythmic pulse that gives a driving force that really gets inside your skin," says Mr. Hancock.

'Body and Soul' by Coleman Hawkins
from 'Body and Soul'
This 1930's song was later performed on-stage in the musical revue "Three's a Crowd". It has been reinterpreted many times since. Mr. Hancock says Hawkins' take "is the definite jazz version of 'Body and Soul'.

'A Day in the Life' by Wes Montgomery
from 'A Day in the Life'
A reinvention of a classic Beatles rock song by one of jazz's great guitarists. "He had almost, like, a built-in sense of musical melodic balance where everything fits so perfectly," Mr. Hancock says of Mr. Montgomery.

copyright Wall Street Journal 2008. All rights reserved.

Interesting choices....so what would be yours?

"She's Leaving Home" by Al Jarreau. AJ brings such a complex sensibility to the Beatles' tune. I always say the Beatles covers are better than their originals.

"Come Together" by Marcus Miller. Yeah, Michael Jackson's was atmospheric and kitschy (to me), but MM's version is straight up funk. He even does a "rap solo" on his bass!!!

"Exit Music (for a film)" by Brad Mehldau. Brad loves Radiohead, and it shows...

"Everyday People" by Medeski, Martin & Wood. MMW turn Sly's down-home romp into a blues dirge. The organist's blues chops showcase the versatility of this song. I prefer it over the original.

"Rainy Day, Dream Away" by Taj Mahal, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams and Robben Ford. This cover, on a Jimi Hendrix tribute album ("In from the Storm") introduced me to Robben's wonderful playing. I could do without the cheesy string arrangement that nearly removes the jazzy swing from this arrangement. Thank goodness, it doesn't. The interplay between Ford, Clarke and the late Williams is a blissful interpretation of a Hendrix gem.

"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" by Stacey Kent and Jim Tomlinson. Stacey's voice is like supple, molten glass. Her enunciation is exquisite, and what she does to this song is nothing but a guilty pleasure for me. Who knew a song from "Oklahoma!" could be so lush and cozy?

"Michelle" another Beatles cover, this time by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. The group still had the awesomely talented Howard Levy on piano and harmonica (sometimes simultaneously. the dude's no slouch), and Victor Wooten's bass solo is just un.be.liev.able. Killer band.
[Edited 2/18/08 9:04am]

(bump)

I'll have to think about this a little bit more to come up with a list.
But right off the bat, Norwegian Wood - Allan Holdsworth.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

I'm having to study on it myself....hence why I have not posted my own choices...