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Herbie Hancock - Newport Jazz Festival (Newport, RI)

Herbie Hancock performed in the Newport Jazz Festival (Newport, RI) that saw him

highlight his rich and new jazz repertoire. A wide range of jazz enthusiasts and performers

attended the concert. During his performance, he incorporated some of the celebrated jazz

instrumentalists such as Dave Holland (electric bass) and Chris Potter (Sax) among others. With

over ten pieces played in the concert, there was variety in the texture and technical abilities of the

various performers. The outdoor nature of the concert was a new experience for me and the

beauty of the sound made it a great concert for everyone. The excitement from the audience was

evidence that Herbie’s music was popular among the young and old.

The repertoire included Herbie’s music such as Actual Proof, Banter, River, Chameleon,

and When Love Comes to Town among others. The piece river was one of the most interesting

during the concert as it involved two female vocalists that gave the music the embellishment that

I deserved. The skill with which the vocal section of this music was executed was incredibly

good and articulate. The harmonic effect of the second female singer and the piano made the

music have a heavy texture that combined classical features and modern jazz aspects. The

saxophone parts were purely improvisatory and beautifully phrased to move along with the

percussive section. The wide register of the saxophone contributed in the mood variation of the

song. There were sections of dialogue between the piano and the voice. The connection of the

melodic passages was accurate and identical most of the time. The rhythm combines the complex

and the conventional jazz rhythm in all the performers’ sections. Another piece that is worth
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remembering is the song, a song for you, in which Emmy Keys displayed her vocal prowess.

Herbie accompanied the song and his chordal effect in the song provided a clear guide for Emmy

in terms of phrasing and harmonic progression. Her powerful voice was over the keyboard all the

time and the beauty of the melody calmed down the audience.

Throughout the concert, I was keen to identify jazz features that were present in each of

the sings that were performed. The basic feature that was clear from the beginning was the

rhythm that contained numerous instances of syncopation. The swing effect was articulate and

was enhanced by the use of the 12-bar blues scale. The percussion was critical in identifying the

swing rhythm, while the melodic and harmonic sections helped in identifying the blue scale in the

music. From the beginning, it was the expectation that there would be scat singing among the

vocalists. However, there was no scat singing, but the melodic aspects were beautifully executed

in the vocal lines. Improvisation was central to the creation of the excitement in the audience as

well as the display of virtuosity. Herbie and Chris Potter exceeded the expectation of the

audience, as it was evidenced from the way their parts were received by the audience. Other than

the swing standing out in the concert, the level of musicianship was notable and inspirational.

Attending the concert was a great decision and the level of artistry displayed was

inspiring. I was able to learn many things that existed in theory. Listening to Herbie Hancock’s

music was one aspect that attracted my keenness and brought significance. I enjoyed the music a

lot because of the awareness of the features that existed in the music. One thing that is clear is

that understanding the origins and identities of jazz music is critical in appreciating the genre

regardless of the performer or the place of a concert.