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Herbie Hancock Records Museum Session, Pairs With Joni Mitchell
Jazz-and-beyond keyboardist Herbie Hancock has videotaped an update of his funk-jazz staple "Chameleon," pulling together session masters Marcus Miller, David Sanborn and Steve Gadd for a performance that will become part of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's music museum, the Experience Music Project.
The performance will be one of many set to appear on six giant screens in the museum's "The Artist's Journey" attraction, whose first incarnation will be devoted to funk. According to a statement from Allen's organization, museum-goers will watch randomly-selected performances by artists such as Hancock, Stevie Wonder and the Isley Brothers before being ushered into a virtual Parliament/Funkadelic show. The show then follows a storyline where George Clinton leads "the most funk-less guy in the universe" into a Mothership (a motion platform) to meet James Brown .
Hancock's video shoot at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles was only a ripple in his continuing career. The 59-year-old pianist appears on Joni Mitchell 's upcoming collection of standards, ''Both Sides Now'' (Warner) set for release March 21. Hancock's accompaniment on two tracks returns the favor for Mitchell's vocal work on 1998's ''Gershwin's World,'' which earned three Grammy awards.
Hancock will return to the studio in the spring, according to his management, to begin work on his next project, an electric pop album set for release on Transparent Music, the imprint Hancock co-owns with manager/producer David Passick and former Verve president Chuck Mitchell.
