Herbie Hancock brings the funk

Herbie Hancock played a crowd-pleasing set at the IU Auditorium Wednesday night that included many of his legendary hits. \nFor two-and-a-half hours, Hancock led his acoustic quintet through an odyssey of jazz history. \nThe group was at its best when it explored the funky elements that introduced Hancock to a wider audience in the '70s. "Canteloupe Island" grooved hard, anchored by the flambouyent drumming of Terri Lyne Carrington.\nIt was the first time I've witnessed Carrington in concert, and I definitely want more. The musical relationship between her and Hancock was right on point.\nThe group opened the show with Cole Porter's "I Love You," the one standard of the evening and the only song not written by Hancock. The group took it in musical directions previously unexplored for the Peru, Ind., native's show tune standard.\nHancock played the ballad with a soft jazz sensibility. But after solos by Herbie and tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas, Carrington fastfowarded the song toward something out of "The United Funk of Funkadelika." \nHancock amusingly brought everyone back to straight jazz to end the song. \nThroughout the night, Hancock's group played versions of his hits that were at times unrecognizable. \n"Dolphin Dance," which lasted over 30 minutes, was a curious live jam session that allowed both Hancock and Thomas two separate solos. Thomas was decisively unmelodic in his first, until he blew the final few notes, reminding us of the melody and puncturing the suspense he had masterfully built.\nWhen introducing the song, Hancock said the version of "Dolphin Dance" was going to be like "making a soup without stirring it."\nEach ladle-full was certainly different, but the song wandered around too long.\nThe band really got on its good foot, though, when it explored sounds that reminded of neo-soul. It makes you hope for a future collaboration of Hancock with D'Angelo or ?uestlove. \nHancock and Roy Hargrove toured together two years ago and stopped at Clowes Hall at Butler University in Indianapolis. In addition to Hargrove's "The RH factor," which features many neo-soul artists, he wrote all the horn licks on "Voodoo," the best album to date from the neo-soul clique.\nMaybe Hargrove's tastes are rubbing off on his friend. \nIt wouldn't be much of a shock, considering the footsteps Hancock has left, in genres from funk to space music. \nThe piano legend told the crowd at the start it wasn't the first time he'd come through Bloomington, contrary to what most think.\n"It was a long time ago, and I don't even remember anything about it ... nothing," he said. \n"Chameleon," for all the changing the name implies, was the most straight-forward tune of the concert. Bassist Scott Colley was powerful and crisp with the melody. \nHancock showed the audience why his style is truly inimitable. For a composer who made the proud blues of "Watermelon Man" and the jive-talkin' of "God Made Me Funky," Hancock's solos were remarkably classical. \nBy ending the concert on "Maiden Voyage," Hancock satisfied fans by showcasing most of his popular tunes. The IU Auditorium put on an absolutely superb night of jazz. When its Herbie Hancock, who could ask for anything more?