Herbie Hancock/South Korea 05.24.2026

This latest live recording of Herbie Hancock’s performance at the Seoul Jazz Festival, his first Korean show in 11 years, is now available! His incredible power, unbelievable for an 86-year-old, made this performance during his highly accomplished Spring 2026 tour and was hailed by many fans as “the culmination of the current Herbie Hancock Band.” Herbie Hancock, now 86 years old, is one of the few true last legends among jazz musicians still actively performing. This release features Herbie Hancock’s first performance in Korea in 11 years, accompanied by his regular band members in recent years: guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist James Genus, and drummer Jaylen Pettineau. He headlined the final day of the Seoul Jazz Festival 2026, Korea’s largest jazz festival, at the Olympic Park’s 88 Garden Stage (main stage), and this performance, which became the biggest talking point of the festival, has been almost completely recorded in superb high-quality sound thanks to the label’s meticulous mastering. This performance can be considered the culmination of his latest spring 2026 tour, and it offers an overview of Herbie’s entire career, from acoustic jazz to funk and electronics. Korean media have highly praised it, calling it an overwhelming performance that belies his 86 years of age, a magnificent closing performance of the festival in his first Korean performance in about 11 years, and a moving stage that also conveys his feelings for the late Wayne Shorter. The performance included “Actual Proof,” one of the highlights of the night, a ferocious funk groove reminiscent of 1974’s “Thrust,” but with a more fluctuating tempo than the original, and a modern arrangement incorporating odd time signatures and polyrhythms. “Footprints,” a powerful performance paying tribute to Shorter, was considerably longer than the original, featuring improvisations from Lionel and others, and repeatedly transforming the theme to develop into a modern harmony. A furious medley of “Hang Up Your Hang Ups / Spider / Rock It” seamlessly blended funk, electro, hip hop, and jazz, with Herbie rampaging at the front of the stage with his keytar. Herbie’s synthesizer and pocoder in “Rock It” drew huge cheers! In the encore-like performance of “Chameleon,” which lasted nearly 20 minutes, the band boldly changed tempo and rhythm midway through, before returning to the original groove at the end, delivering a magnificent performance that brought the audience to their feet and brought the show to a close. Other highlights included “Watermelon Man” and “Secret Sauce”! Recorded Live at Seoul Jazz Festival Olympic Park, Seoul, South Korea, May 24, 2026 AUDIENCE Recording EX. *** 74 min WATERMELON MAN ACTUAL PROOF Lionel/Felix 2019 FOOTPRINTS SECRET SAUCE HANG UP YOUR HANG UPS / SPIDER / ROCKIT CHAMELEON Herbie Hancock – piano, keyboards Devin Daniels – saxophone Lionel Loueke – guitar James Genus – electric bass Justin Brown – drums