Jazz legend Herbie Hancock brought his best tunes to Abu Dhabi as he performed on Friday at the Emirates Palace as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival.
The American pianist and composer thrilled audiences with a mixture of classics and contemporary pieces that included Watermelon Man, Cantaloupe Island, Come Running to Me and Seven Teens, among others.
Playing the piano, keyboard and keytar, Hancock was accompanied on stage by a drummer, a bass player and a guitar player — all of whom had solos that showcased their talents.
Additionally, the concert featured a guest appearance by Emirati singer Hamdan Al Abri, who took the stage with Hancock to perform a song amid loud cheers from the audience.
Showing off his mastery, Hancock played all three instruments immaculately, hitting one perfect note after the other and creating his signature funky tunes. There were even a few moments when he played both the piano and keyboard simultaneously.
The 14-time Grammy Award winner did not limit his performance to the instruments, though, as he had a strap-on Vocoder microphone that he used to incorporate a vocal element to some songs. The microphone gave him a half-human, half-robot feel.
The audience, who almost filled up the Emirates Palace auditorium, was clearly impressed.
Mikolaj Drozd, an Abu Dhabi resident, described Hancock as ‘extremely innovative and ground-breaking’.
“I’m a big fan of Hancock’s,” Drozd told tabloid!. “He excels at everything he does, and he always introduces local flavours to his performances. He really never disappoints.”
Another attendee, Pascal Heberling, who was joined by his wife and children, said: “The concert was absolutely amazing. I loved how Hancock played classics, and some of his new [pieces]. I saw him in London 13 years ago, but this time the programme was different and interwoven, and he really played his best hits.”
Heberling added that he also enjoyed Al Abri’s performance, and described him as ‘an amazing talent’.
However, it was not just Hancock’s music that entertained. The 73-year-old was humourous and, in fact, youthful. His movement on stage coupled with his interaction with the audience made the music more accessible and easier to connect with.
Adding a modern element to his performance, Hancock’s keyboard was strapped to a few iPads, and the pianist had a MacBook sitting in front of him.
After almost an hour and a half with the concert coming to an end, the audience gave Hancock a long standing ovation that brought him back for an encore to perform a mash-up of his hits, including Rockit, which had the crowds cheering and dancing in their seats.
Now in the fifth decade of his professional life, Hancock has been a part of every popular music movement since the 1960s. Having once been a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that influenced the history of jazz, he also developed new approaches in his own recordings.
The performance marked Hancock’s debut in the GCC region and his third one in the Arab world — he performed in Lebanon and Egypt in 1998 and 2001 respectively.
The Abu Dhabi Festival runs until March 31. For the full programme and upcoming performances go to abudhabifestival.ae
