Herbie Hancock - The Imagine Project
Review by Jack Foley
“Music truly is the universal language,” says Herbie Hancock on the eve of his 70th birthday. “The Imagine Project” will explore that concept across the globe, uniting a myriad of cultures through song and positive creative expression. My hope is that the music will serve as a metaphor for the actions taken by the inhabitants of this wonderful planet as a call for world harmony on all levels.”
And so the mission statement behind Hancock’s latest album reveals the inspiration behind this unique global project that unites the Grammy winning artist with some truly diverse artists.
Utilising the universal language of music to express its central themes of peace and global responsibility, the musical collaborations combine Hancock’s genre-defying musical vision with the “local” musical identity of cultures from around the world and took place in each collaborator’s home territory whenever possible.
Hence, well-known classics are re-invented by Hancock and sometimes indulged. The results are both peaceful and ambitious, yet sometimes fail to work.
By indulging certain songs and letting them play out over seven or eight minutes, Hancock sometimes tests the listeners’ patience and appears to have let vanity get the better of him.
But then there’s always something to admire or reflect upon once he gets things right. And the collaborations are mostly mouth-watering.
For instance, John Lennon’s seminal Imagine is delivered via musical and sung collaborations with Seal, Pink, Konono No l, Jeff Beck, Oumou Sangare, India.Arie, Lionel Loueke and Marcus Miller. It was recorded in three cities.
And while it admittedly takes a little getting used to, Hancock’s underlying piano arrangement is breathtakingly beautiful and deeply intimate… while the vocals are respectful to the themes of the song.
More instantly gratifying is his cover of the Peter Gabriel/Kate Bush classic Don’t Give Up, featuring Pink and John Legend, and delivered with a depth of emotion that even threatens to surpass the original on occasion.
His take on Bob Dylan’s seminal The Times, They Are A’ Changin, featuring The Chieftains, Toumani Diabete, Lionel Loueke and Lisa Hannigan [and recorded in Ireland] is also inspired… layered as it is with uilleann pipes, tin whistles, fiddles, flutes and piano.
The global feel and cross-cultural elements of the album are most positively reflected in the lush, Latin American flavoured La Tierra, which sets some vibrant percussion alongside Juanes expressive vocals.
While the spirit of Africa is rife on Tamatant Tilay/Exodus, a clever mash-up of styles that gets better the more times you hear it, and which features Tinariwen, K’Naan and Los Lobos for a really interesting mix of styles and cultures.
Some banjo flourishes and a trippy, almost psychedelic approach infuse the Dave Matthews sung Tomorrow Never Knows with an instantly striking quality, while Hancock is allowed to take more centre stage with his piano arrangements on the James Morrison sung A Change Is Gonna Come.
The most notable thing about all of the songs, however, is that Hancock isn’t afraid to place a new identity upon them, drawing on the charisma of his performers and the diversity of their backgrounds to imbue the tracks with something new.
It’s for this reason that certain old favourites may take longer to get used to… and there are those who may consider some cover versions have been ruined.
But in terms of scope, ambition and overall quality of expression, The Imagine Project has to rate as an unqualified success from one of the world’s most tireless and fearless artists. It is well worth supporting, in spite of its occasional flaws.
Download picks: Don’t Give Up, The Times They Are A’ Changin’, La Tierra, Tomorrow Never Knows, Imagine
Track listing: