Herbie Hancock Speaks on "America's Classical Music" Jazz, at National Press Club

Date: 9.18.2006
Time: 12:30 PM
Event Type: NPC Luncheon
Event Name: Herbie Hancock
Sponsored by: Speakers Committee
Event Location: Ballroom

Details: Legendary musician, and 10-time Grammy Award winner HerbieHancock will address his experiences in jazz and the positive impact that this form of “American classical music” has played in shaping the world, in a speech scheduled to be delivered at the National Press Club on Monday, Sept. 18.

Hancock will also discuss the positive impact jazz has made in the lives of young people and how it can further play a role in helping to create more talented, confident, and educated future generations. In addition, Hancock will encourage the media to play a more active role in advancing jazz, which is recognized around the world as America’s greatest indigenous art form. Hancock will also perform musical excepts of some of his compositions during his speech.

For nearly five decades, Hancock has played a significant role in the development in electronic and acoustic jazz and R&B. From his early years as a child prodigy steeped in Classical music, to his associations with iconic jazz legends such as Donald Byrd and Miles Davis, Hancock has been responsible for setting new heights in the growth of American music, with his unique piano and keyboard voicings and complex rhythms.

In addition to his on-stage performances and accolades, which includes an Academy Award for his soundtrack for the 1986 motion picture “’Round Midnight,” Hancock is an educator and global ambassador of jazz. Hancock currently serves as Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, an international organization based in Washington, DC, devoted to the development of jazz performance and education worldwide. He has taken on a number of roles on behalf of the institute, from competition judge to master class teacher, to guest performer with the Institute's prestigious college program.

The National Press Club luncheon will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 18. Hancock’s remarks will begin just after 1:00 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session. Advance reservations should be made by telephoning (202) 662-7501. Cost of luncheon admission is $16 for National Press Club members, $28 for their guests.

The National Press Club is located at 14th and F Streets, NW, one block west of Metro Center. More information about the Club and its programs is found on its website: press.org.