Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Herbie Hancock will teach his first ever online class exclusively with MasterClass.
(Photo: Courtesy MasterClass)The online education platform MasterClass has announced today composer/keyboardist Herbie Hancock will teach his first ever online class exclusively with MasterClass. The class is currently available for pre-enrollment starting today at www.masterclass.com/hh.
In his class, Hancock will discuss his approach to music and how it relates to his philosophy on life, illustrating many points while seated at a piano. The 14-time Grammy winner will draw upon life lessons acquired from throughout his lengthy career, from his bandstand days with Miles Davis through his genre-bending work as a bandleader and acclaimed solo artist.
He plans to deliver expert technical lessons for a wide audience: professional and amateur pianists, jazz performers, composers across all genres, lovers of music and jazz aficionados. Click below to see a preview.
Music has been central to Hancock throughout his entire life. By age 11, he had already gained recognition as a child piano prodigy and performed an impressive Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He went on to play jazz in high school and explored his passion for both electronics and science. In 1963, Hancock joined Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet and was integral to many classic jazz recordings. Davis served as an inspiration and mentor for Hancock.
Hancock has became one of the most influential and revered jazz musicians of all time. His many accolades include being named a Kennedy Center Honoree, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Institute Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, and Co-Chair of International Jazz Day. Hancock is an inductee in the DownBeat Hall of Fame and a recipient of The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Now in the sixth decade of his professional life, Hancock is at the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. He is currently in the studio at work on a new album and recently announced a world tour, which will include performances at the Montreaux Jazz Festival (July 2), the North Sea Jazz Festival (July 8), the Beacon Theatre in New York (Aug. 7), Powell Hall in St. Louis (Aug. 10), the Detroit Jazz Festival (Sept. 1) and the Monterey Jazz Festival (Sept. 15 and 17).
“Miles Davis taught me a lesson I’ll never forget: In jazz there are no mistakes,” Hancock said. “Every note you play is an opportunity to take your music further. That idea opened my ears to worlds of musical possibilities. In my class, I will share those ideas and help you discover your sound. Through lessons in harmony, rhythm, composition and improvisation, I will show you how to write and perform with freedom.”
“Herbie is simply amazing: He is not only a music legend, but he is devoted to helping the next generation of musicians,” said David Rogier, CEO and co-founder of MasterClass. “The depth and the joy with which he shares his craft is a revelation.”
MasterClass is an online education company that provides classes from world-renowned instructors. Each class offers a unique learning experience, which includes video lessons from the instructor, interactive exercises, course materials, peer interaction and more.
Based in San Francisco, MasterClass also offers online courses with these experts: Dustin Hoffman (acting), Werner Herzog (filmmaking), Aaron Sorkin (screenwriting), Deadmau5 (music production), Hans Zimmer (film scoring), Shonda Rhimes (writing for TV), Steve Martin (comedy) and David Mamet (dramatic writing).
All classes are available online for individual purchase at www.masterclass.com. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Lettuce, from left: Eric Coomes, Adam Deitch, Ryan Zoidis, Eric Bloom, Adam Smirnoff and Nigel Hall
Feb 17, 2026 11:05 AM
They were Berklee misfits. Neither jazzy enough for the straightahead crowd at Boston’s highly prestigious College of…
New Orleans Trad Jazz Camp
Feb 19, 2026 10:39 AM
Jazz camps have exploded around the globe as a summertime tradition for working on your chops and making new friends.…
Blindfold Test proctor Ted Panken, left, with the Grammy-winning Nicole Zuraitis.
Feb 24, 2026 12:00 PM
After earning the 2024 Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy for her seventh album, How Love Begins (La Reserve), comprising 12…
