With his last three (of "maybe 100") albums, Hancock has put on a new coat as thematic presenter/collaborator, in the vein of his good pal Quincy Jones.
Sometimes the keyboardist is even sitting in the back seat, letting others drive the recording session, the better to explore a theme and allow his young co-stars to shine in a jazzier context than they could on their own.
2005 found Hancock exploring crossover "Possibilities" with the likes of singer/songwriter John Mayer, blues emulators Jonny Lang and Joss Stone, sensitive souls Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, and pop tart Christina Aguilera, who really sharpened her chops on "A Song for You."
On 2007's "River: The Joni Letters" he dug into the poetry and jazz heart of Joni Mitchell with a star-studded band and vocal luminaries like Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae and Mitchell herself. Hancock was rewarded for that effort with the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, the first time a jazz guy had earned that honor since "Getz/Gilberto" scored in friggin' 1964.
Now Mr. Hancock is up to collaborative tricks again with "The Imagine Project," this time an international recording and video affair that puts him in synch with the likes of Indian sitarist Anoushka Shankar - plus Chaka Khan and Wayne Shorter - on the Mumbai-made "The Song Goes On," urging "Don't Give Up" with Pink and John Legend, and Dublin' down on "The Times They Are A-Changin'" with Irish greats The Chieftains and Lisa Hannigan and African talents Toumani Diabate and Lionel Loueke.
