Review: Herbie Hancock and Dianne Reeves Live in Mumbai

Shakespeare had asked “What’s in a name?” and centuries later he would have had his answer in January of 2024. Herbie Hancock, it was announced was to perform in Mumbai on January 20th at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre (JBT) of the NCPA. It was to be an invitation-only event which led to a frenzied clamor to get hold of an invite. 

Good folks who would be “otherwise occupied” or “out of town” for the best of jazz concerts were now desperate to attend this concert. The name, Herbie Hancock was glamor enough. For many, it was socially important to be at THE Herbie Hancock concert. It was the place to be, the thing to do. It was a big date on the city’s social calendar.

One lady asked us how she could get invited as she was a huge fan and then quietly asked exactly what Herbie Hancock played. “Is it a saxophone or flute?” Another worthy asked if Lionel Hampton was still in the band! 

And then the concert.

Herbie Hancock, vocalist Dianne Reeves and six student performers from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz in the U.S. arrived in India for a two-city tour of Delhi and Mumbai, bringing a welcome set of concerts and workshops to the two cities.

The six young student musicians with the band played a very high standard of jazz throughout the evening’s performance at the JBT. They were proof of the result of taking talented individuals and honing their skills at music school and of following their musical instincts with the right discipline and guidance.

Miles Lennox, pianist with the band, played his composition “Thirty” where each band member from the sextet played imaginative solos.  Lennox played delightfully on this piece demonstrating a deep feel for the blues.

Also very impressive was the alto saxophone playing of Alden Hellmuth and the wonderful upright acoustic bass playing of Destiny Diggs. 

Trumpet player Yakiv Tsveitinskyi and Sasha Ripley on tenor saxophone were impressive as well, as was the drummer Malachai Whitson. 

We heard an all-girls trio rendering of Miles Davis’ famous composition “All Blues” with the fabulous Dianne Reeves spellbinding us with her singing on this piece. She sang the lyrics- some scripted and some improvised – to relate her experiences on this India tour on what was, to us the high point of the evening. Ms. Reeves was brilliantly accompanied by Destiny Diggs playing the mesmeric bass lines and Alden Hellmuth displaying wonderful skills and feeling in her playing the alto saxophone.

Dianne Reeves set a very high standard for the jazz event.

She is carrying forward the fine tradition of female jazz vocalists, a tradition set by the likes of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen MacRae, Betty Carter and a few others.

Betty Carter sang in Mumbai in 1996, as did Dee Dee Bridgewater and Chaka Khan a few years later. Dianne Reeves rekindled memories of this great aspect of jazz vocals from the deep rooted culture in jazz.

Herbie Hancock appeared sparsely during the concert. The 83-year-old jazz piano superstar played keyboards on a funky version of his composition “Watermelon Man,” accompanied by the sextet. He also played a piano solo, improvising totally on the piece and accompanied Dianne Reeves on a vocal and piano duet.

Ms. Reeves also sang the old uptempo standard “Fascinating Rhythm” in the company of the sextet, with short solos from the horn players.

Herbie Hancock was first noticed in the early 1960s as a brilliant young jazz pianist on the scene. He was hired by Miles Davis upon the departure from the band of pianist Wynton Kelly. Herbie played alongside Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams in Miles’ classic quintet of the later part of the 1960s. 

Then came new technology into the music equation. With the introduction of the electronic Moog synthesizers and keyboards came the possibility of new sounds for musicians. 

Miles Davis saw this as an opportunity to reach a young,  new audience who were essentially listening to Rock music. Miles perhaps alienated his old fans who were steeped in the sounds of hardbop, modal and cool jazz.

Herbie Hancock, likewise took to the electric piano and assembled a band with new electronic instruments; one critic had said about this music: Sounds like music from another planet played on instruments from the same place. Jazz was living up to its reputation of being a free music!

The mid-Eighties saw a revival of the mainstream sound by the movement started by Wynton Marsalis and a few others. 

Ultimately, the era of “fusion” has given way to the traditional sound of jazz played largely on acoustic instruments. 

Herbie Hancock’s recent visit was evidence of this course correction; his young students were playing classic jazz music.

Jazz has turned a full circle. 

As the French say: “Plus ca change plus c’est la meme chose”. 

The more things change the more they remain the same.