Customer Reviews

Herbie Hancock - Possibilities

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Herbie Hancock is a man who embraces all kinds of people and experiences, an explorer in many cultural and musical fields (one of the reasons that UNESCO named him their Goodwill Ambassador). This DVD is a good introduction to him and his life, featuring snippets from his early quartet years with legends Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter to his forays into electronic funk with the Headhunters to more recent collaborations.

Some of these 2005 duo sessions are more successful than others, but all are interesting. Hancock performs with great stars like Annie Lennox, Sting, Carlos Santana, and Paul Simon, tries new things with young pop performers like John Mayer, makes international connections with singers like Angelique Kidjo, experiments with composers like Brian Eno, and concludes with a trip to Japan where his spiritual side is revealed. The disc presents many enjoyable and insightful moments in the creative process. If you're into Christina Aguilera and Joss Stone, you may also enjoy enjoy these pairings, but they struck me as rather self-conscious and even forced, particularly Aguilera's vocal pypotechnics.

I should also point out that this video is primarily a making-of documentary. It doesn't present finished, polished work, serving instead as an invitation to listen to Hancock's 2006 duet CD "Possibilities" as well as recordings produced during earlier incarnations. As such, I would say it's more of a DVD to rent or check out from the library than one you need to own, even if you are a big Hancock fan.

FYI, there is available on Amazaon a much cheaper edition of this DVD originally sold at Starbucks. It includes a four-track CD containing rough cuts of several songs. If I were going to buy this film, I'd search for that version.

Watch this and be inspired by the awesome Herbie Hancock. The recording sessions are great. The music and the movie flow along like a terrific jazz solo, riffing on all kinds of themes but Herbie brings it together into a whole. Just watching him play on the piano is a treat. If you're not that familiar with this living jazz legend, check this out and you'll admire both the man and his music.

I read the only review for this item and ordered it, expecting to see a fantastic display of sound and some of the interaction of these artists with Mr Hancock as they created music, each colaborating to have a unique blend of sounds.
Actually this is only a documentary showing this interaction, and as such is very interesting.
But if you are looking to see an hear the full length videos of these great colaborations you will be disappointed, that is not included in this dvd. Only small samples are there for you to see.
This was a real disapointmet because the quality of video and audio are fantastic.

This was really interesting to watch. As a musician and an aspiring producer, I really enjoyed all the studio footage. This "behind the scenes" look at the album was awesome to see.

As the other reviewer pointed out - if you want to see some sort of concert footage with all these songs being performed, this DVD doesn't offer that. This is purely a trip into the studio with Herbie and his guests to see the collaborations unfold.

The only thing that was a bit distracting was the DVD's sour mood somtimes. The four that stand out are:

1) Christina Aguilera's segment - she just doesn't seem to be enjoying herself. I even thought she was being bitchy, but I kept watching and...

2) Jonny Lang seems genuinely honored to meet Herbie and he's telling him so and Herbie quickly walks away talking to somebody else.

3) Herbie's showing his charts to Sting and excitedly talks about the chord progression - Sting looks uninterested and looks away. And

4) The fabulous Raul Midon (CHECK HIM OUT!!!) asks if he can try different things out. They allow him, only for him to be railed with sarcastic comments like, "Well, Herbie doesn't HAVE to solo on his own CD. You just kicked him off his own CD." Or After Raul does his amazing mouth trumpet, "Good thing Miles isn't here, he'd have something to say about this..."

I mean it's like, did Herbie and his people not make the artists feel comfortable? It just seems like the studio sessions weren't always pleasant.
But anyway, you guys probably don't care about that. Back to the point: This is a great invitation into the studio. But if you want concert footage or even complete somgs, skip on this.

It's Herbie, nuff said. Always cutting edge. Always art at the highest level. No cliches, nothing wasted, always swinging. One of the greatest living musicians on the planet!
L.Webb

As a huge Herbie fan I can say that it was great seeing him work with an interesting cast of charachters in the studio. They are improving together and some great stuff comes out of it. I loved watching the making of Possibilities more than I like the actual album. For me the album is a bit too polished and pop oriented. Plus I don't care for some of the song selections, and I basically got bored with it after a few listens. BUT, to see the making of it was great! I dissagree with another reviewers "perspective" of "tension" in the studio. I found the artists respectfull of each other, and just downright cool.
Then there is the footage of Miles and the 2nd Quintet. I could watch days of just that, but to have it interspersed with Herbie talking about how playing with Miles gave him a template from which to work was fantastic.
I recommend this to all Herbie fans and fans of the interworkings of the studio.
Now I just have to figure out how to get our eleven year old to watch it.

I don't care if you're a musician, poet, photographer, painter or wash dishes for a living...We all Learn much more by listening to what makes an artist "thinks" and "shares" of his experiences in life and art. This dvd blew me away, and i found magic scattered all over the place. I LOVED listening just as much to Herbie's thoughts, as i did the music. What a rare pleasure it is, when someone like Hancock opens up the door to what's in that mind and heart, of a true American Icon. I Highly Recommend this Experience. I wish i could have given this amazing project a 100 stars.

This is a most unusual and interesting 2 disc set. The first DVD is an indepth look at the creative processes and interactions which occur between Herbie Hancock and the various artists.If you want to get a behind the scenes look at creative musical genius at work--this is for you. The second disc-a music CD contains the finished works.i.e.-the actual songs. A unique item-and perhaps a collector's item of sorts--for Herbie Hancock fans.

The DVD in a short period of time allowed the viewer to be a part of the creative process by looking over Herbie Hancock shoulder as the music evolved. The range of the music represented was wide and was pulled together by Hancock's ability to weave innovative piano jazz through out the sessions. I saw the piece on cable and wanted to make the CD and the DVD a part of my collection. Not very often do you have an insiders view of a CD being created especially with the many talents on "Possibilities".

The DVD in a short period of time allowed the viewer to be a part of the creative process by looking over Herbie Hancock shoulder as the music evolved. The range of the music represented was wide and was pulled together by Hancock's ability to weave innovative piano jazz through out the sessions. I saw the piece on cable and wanted to make the CD and the DVD a part of my collection. Not very often do you have an insiders view of a CD being created especially with the many talents on "Possibilities".