Herbie Hancock (born 1940) is one of the key architects of post-bop and jazz fusion. The pianist, bandleader and composer joined the influential Miles Davis Quintet in the 1960s, and in the 1970s started experimenting with rock and funk influences in his Mwandishi and Headhunters groups.
Hancock is known for being an early proponent of the use of synthesizers, drum machines and electronics in jazz music. He composed some of the most well-known jazz tunes of all time, such as “Cantaloupe Island”, “Watermelon Man”, “Maiden Voyage” or “Chameleon”. Hancock is still an active musician and a music professor at UCLA.
