Herbie Hancock was born in Chicago on April 12, 1940. Herbie was a child prodigy who started with the classical repertoire and performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the age of eleven. He learned jazz piano by listening to the records of George Shearing and Oscar Peterson, transcribing their solos note for note.
After college, where he studied electrical engineering and music, his first gig was with trumpeter Donald Byrd. In 1962 Herbie’s solo record debut, “Takin’ Off”, with Dexter Gordon and Freddie Hubbard premiered his first big hit, “Watermelon Man.”
He joined the Miles Davis Quintet, in 1963, with which he performed for five years. With this group, considered by many to be one of the best in the history of jazz, Herbie did some of his best playing, forming a tight musical bond with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. He has made many records with that rhythm section since then.