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American jazz pianist, keyboardist, composer, band leader (born April 12, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, USA).
Hancock is one of the best-known modern jazz composers, creator of “Watermelon Man” (which has been a reference point throughout his career), “Maiden Voyage”, “Dolphin Dance”, right through to the dance grooves of “Rockit”. Learned the piano from the age of 6, performing piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra aged 11. He came to wider attention via his work with trumpeter Donald Byrd who introduced him to Blue Note co-founder Alfred Lion; he recorded for Lion's label as both leader and sideman throughout the 1960s while he was a member of trumpeter Miles Davis' regular working group from 1963 to 1968. Entered a period of working in jazz fusion from the late 1960s, initially with Davis, and then in his own groups in the 1970s; the "Headhunters" album was a best seller. Around the same time, he worked with the acoustic The V.S.O.P. Quintet, effectively the Davis second quintet with Freddie Hubbard substituting.