In the News: Herbie Hancock Quartet Opens 20th Anniversary Season of Symphony Center Presents Jazz Series!

WITH SPECIAL GUEST ZAKIR HUSSAIN

Friday, October 11 at 8 p.m.

CHICAGO — With an illustrious career spanning five decades, pianist Herbie Hancock opens the Symphony Center Presents Jazz 20th anniversary celebration on Friday, October 11 at 8 p.m., making his first appearance at Symphony Center since 2010 and his first appearance on the Jazz series since 2004.

For this performance, Hancock performs as part of the Herbie Hancock Quartet, rounded out by guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist James Genus, and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. Joining the quartet for this performance is special guest Zakir Hussain, the classical tabla virtuoso. Two innovators in their respective genres, Hancock and Hussain have been frequent collaborators over the years; most recently, Hussain joined the Herbie Hancock quartet for a critically acclaimed South American tour earlier this year.

Herbie Hancock is considered a true icon of modern music, celebrated throughout the world as a visionary performer who consistently expands the possibilities of musical thought. Hancock’s musical explorations have transcended limitations and genres and won him 14 Grammy Awards, including the 2008 Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters and 2011 Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for “Imagine” off of The Imagine Project. A classically trained pianist, Hancock performed at age 11 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and he has influenced generations of jazz artists with his singular style, which he developed on such classic albums as 1965’s Maiden Voyage and through his work with the Miles Davis Quintet and his own bands, including Headhunters. Throughout his long career, Hancock has always pushed himself, alternating between acoustic jazz work with longtime associates such as Wayne Shorter and electronic projects, which now include performing with synthesizer and computer.

Zakir Hussain, percussionist and tabla virtuoso, is widely considered a chief architect of the contemporary world music movement, with many historic collaborations and recordings and performances with artists as diverse as George Harrison, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison and the Kodo drummers among many others. The foremost disciple of his father, the legendary Ustad Allarakha, Hussain was a child prodigy who began his professional career at the age of 12 and had toured internationally with great success by the age of 18. He has been the recipient of many awards, grants and honors, including Grammy Awards in 1991 and 2009 for Best World Music Album for Planet Drum and Global Drum Project, both collaborations with Mickey Hart. His music and extraordinary contribution to the music world were honored in April 2009, with four widely-heralded and sold-out concerts in Carnegie Hall’s Perspectives series. Also in 2009, Hussain was named a Member in the Order of Arts and Letters by France’s Ministry of Culture and Communication.

Symphony Center Presents Jazz 20th Anniversary: The widely heralded Symphony Center Presents Jazz series has brought jazz’s most famous names and rising young stars to Chicago for almost two decades. In honor of its 20th anniversary season, the series salutes the past and future of the art form with 10 concerts that not only celebrate the unprecedented roster of legends and innovators who have graced the series throughout its history, but also showcase Chicago’s homegrown talent and debut artists.

Upcoming Jazz series concerts:

• Friday, November 22 at 8 p.m. – The Joshua Redman Quartet with opening act Muhal Richard Abrams


• Friday, January 31 at 8 p.m. – An Evening with Branford Marsalis with opening act Ray Anderson’s Pocket Brass Band


• Saturday, February 15 at 8 p.m. – Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano, Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genovese: The Spring Quartet with opening act Gregory Porter


• Tuesday, March 11 at 8 p.m. – Pat Metheny Unity Group with Chris Potter, Antonio Sanchez, Ben Williams and Giulio Carmassi


• Friday, March 28 at 8 p.m. – Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis


• Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m. – Mavis Staples / Regina Carter’s Southern Comfort (co-headliners)


• Friday, May 2 at 8 p.m. – Terri Lyne Carrington’s The Mosaic Project featuring Lizz Wright, Carmen Lundy, Nona Hendryx, Geri Allen, and Tia Fuller


• Friday, May 30 at 8 p.m. – Jason Moran and Theaster Gates


• Friday, June 13 at 8 p.m. – Jon Faddis’ Triumph of Trumpets / Marcus Roberts’ New Orleans Swing Time (co-headliners)

The Symphony Center Presents Jazz series is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.

Complete program details follow:

Symphony Center Presents
Jazz Series

Friday, October 11, 2013, 8 p.m.
Herbie Hancock Quartet 
with Special Guest Zakir Hussain

Herbie Hancock, piano
Lionel Loueke, guitar
James Genus, bass
Vinnie Colaiuta, drums
Zakir Hussain, tabla

Tickets: $30–$134