Herbie Hancock
Throughout his six-decade-plus career, Herbie Hancock has reached all corners of the expansive jazz genre, along with pioneering electronic music and modern R&B. His trailblazing 1973 album Head Hunters has been such an inspiration to funk, soul, and hip-hop that the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry (an archive of the most significant recordings of the 20th century). But all fancy accolades aside, Head Hunters is a delightfully timeless album that I keep in my back pocket for when I'm feeling musically fatigued. Plus, Hancock's 47th (!) studio album is currently in the works, which will reportedly include features from music royalty like Wayne Shorter, Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Snoop Dogg, and more.
by Audrey Vann