Now in the seventh decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: at the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. He has been an integral part of every popular music movement since the 1960's. As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that pioneered a groundbreaking sound in jazz, he also developed new approaches on his own recordings, followed by his work in the 70s — with record-breaking albums such as "Headhunters" — that combined electric jazz with funk and rock in an innovative style that continues to influence contemporary music. "Rockit" and "Future Shock" marked Hancock's foray into electronic dance sounds; during the same period he also continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P. His astonishing 34 Grammy nominations, spanning from the late ‘60s to the 2000s, attest to his unquenchable genius and enduring popularity with fans.

Still actively touring, still recording, endlessly engaged in the near-spiritual quest that music has become for him, Hancock has earned the title bestowed on him by The Washington Post: “today’s greatest living artist.”

Photo credit: Danny Clinch

🎹 Herbie Hancock – piano, keyboards
@herbiehancock

Now in the seventh decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: at the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. He has been an integral part of every major music movement since the 1960s. As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet which pioneered a groundbreaking jazz sound, he also developed new approaches on his solo recordings. In the 1970s, he released record-breaking albums such as "Headhunters", that combined electric jazz with funk and rock in an innovative style that continues to influence contemporary music. His tracks "Rockit" and "Future Shock" marked Hancock's foray into electronic dance music; during the same period, he continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P. His astonishing 34 Grammy-Award nominations, spanning from the late 1960s to the 2000s, attest to his unquenchable genius and enduring popularity with fans.

🎺 Terence Blanchard - trumpet, keyboards
@terence_blanchard

Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard has become a prominent brass player, bandleader, recording artist, orchestrator of film scores, and leader in the mainstream post-bop community. He began playing piano at the age of five, switched to trumpet three years later, and played alongside childhood friend Wynton Marsalis in summer band camps. While in high school, he took extracurricular classes at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts with Roger Dickerson and Ellis Marsalis. In 1982, Blanchard replaced Wynton Marsalis under his recommendation in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, working in that band up to 1986 as lead soloist and musical director. He then co-led a prominent quintet with saxophonist Donald Harrison, recording seven albums for the Concord, Columbia, and Evidence record labels in five years, including a stirring tribute to the Eric Dolphy/Booker Little ensemble.

🎸 Lionel Loueke – guitar
@lionelloueke

Praised by his mentor Herbie Hancock as "a musical painter," Lionel Loueke combines harmonic sophistication, soaring melodies, a deep knowledge of African music, and both conventional and extended guitar techniques to create a warm and evocative sound of his own. JazzTimes wrote “Loueke's lines are smartly formed and deftly executed. His ear-friendly melodicism draws both from traditional African sources and a lifetime of closely studying the likes of Jim Hall and George Benson, and his rhythmic shifts come quickly and packed with surprises.”

🎻 James Genus – bass
@James_Genus

James Genus was born in Hampton, Virginia and started playing bass at the age of 13. Genus attended Virginia Commonwealth University where he studied and played with the renowned Ellis Marsalis, received his degree in Jazz Studies and moved to New York. Since then, he has been called upon to play either acoustic or electric bass in many different musical settings including Saturday Night Live’s house band.

🥁 Jaylen Petinaud - drums
@jaylennn_

At 25, instrumentalist Jaylen K. Petinaud is thriving on the music scene as one of the most sought-after drummers and composers in the entertainment industry. He is currently on tour with Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, Theo Croker and Keyon Harrold. He also is currently working on Alicia Keys’ new musical, Hell’s Kitchen, on Broadway. Jaylen’s style and execution demonstrate a powerful technique that uplifts soulful harmonies. His infusion of worldbeat rhythms into contemporary funk celebrates a revolutionary sound. Jaylen is versed in multiple genres such as jazz, gospel, pop, classical, hip-hop, and R&B.