Possibilities

face. He didn t say anything. He didn t have to. Miles wasn t one to talk a whole lot about things when he could show us something instead.

It took me years to fully understand what happened in that moment onstage. As soon as I played that chord I judged it. In my mind it was the wrong chord. But Miles never judged it he just heard it as a sound that had happened, and he instantly took it on as a challenge, a question of How can I integrate that chord into everything else we re doing? And because he didn t judge it, he was able to run with it, to turn it into something amazing. Miles trusted the band, and he trusted himself, and he always encouraged us to do the same. This was just one of many lessons I learned from Miles.

We all have a natural human tendency to take the safe route to do the thing we know will work rather than taking a chance. But that s the antithesis of jazz, which is all about being in the present. Jazz is about being in the moment, at every moment. It s about trusting yourself to respond on the fly. If you can allow yourself to do that, you never stop exploring, you never stop learning, in music or in life.

I was lucky enough to learn this not only from playing with Miles but over the decades of playing that have followed. And I m still learning it, every single day. It s a gift that I never could have imagined back when I first started plunking around on my friend Levester Corley s piano at the age of six.

Levester Corley lived in the same building as my family, on the corner of Forty-Fifth Street and King Drive on the South Side of Chicago. We lived in a poor neighborhood, but it wasn t the worst one in 1940s Chicago. It was probably a step up from the worst, meaning that we didn t live in

near the peak of his art. Recommended reading for jazz aficionados. Kirkus Reviews

He has remained true to his art and his (Buddhist) poise during turbulent times, and his description of his upbringing and encounters with often turbulent individuals (not least of them Davis) provides a unique slant on America s musical scene. Booklist 

Brilliant . . . reveals the method behind this remarkable jazz performer . . . a testament to a man who faced in life what seemed impossible and made it possible.   Library Journal 

This book is many treasures. You have to read it to understand Herbie Hancock, to read and understand Mr. Hancock explaining how he achieved things. It is also a great treasure to make contact. The contact is you and Herbie telling you about himself. You are receiving the information and understandings of himself to you. He is very, very clear. Thank you, Herbie, because so many geniuses like yourself in the arts have trouble defining themselves and what they do. Bill Cosby 

Herbie and I have been brothers since before electricity! One of my favorite things about Herbie is that both he and I aim to de-categorize music; we don t think of music in terms of genres or rules, we both live outside the box and love good music, no matter the genre. If you like piano, or jazz, or music, or great stories, or life itself, you will love this book. Herbie Hancock has been electrifying audiences for decades, and now he s about to do it to readers, too. Quincy Jones 

Herbie Hancock s new book, Possibilities, elevates, transforms, and illumines consciousness. This wealth of insight opens winder the space of possibilities with raw honesty, courage, and curiosity. It takes us into a place of brilliant alchemy of God s life, music, and humor. Genius IS as genius does. Carlos Santana 

Herbie Hancock is one of the greats. His book is a fascinating account of his time in the music business. From Miles Davis to Paul Simon and beyond, Herbie s stories are an insightful delight for all of us.   Paul McCartney