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Soundtrack by Herbie Hancock

It would be difficult to measure the prodigious influence and achievements of jazz legend and 2014 Norton Lecturer Herbie Hancock (b. 1940). Since first rising to prominence as a pivotal figure of the post-bop jazz movement of the 1960s, most famously through his remarkable presence in Miles Davis' incredible Second Quartet, Hancock has continued to break new boundaries, ever expanding his range as a pianist, keyboardist and composer by boldly embracing new instruments and approaches to composition and improvisation. Deeply grounded in a profound knowledge of the history of jazz and classical music, Hancock has remained open and curious about emerging trends in funk, blues, rock and popular music. A lesser known chapter in Hancock's vast and still growing oeuvre is formed by his work beginning in the 1960s as a composer of innovative and important jazz scores for motion pictures. In conjunction with Hancock's greatly anticipated Norton Lectures, the Harvard Film Archive is pleased to present two major showcases for Hancock's immeasurable talent as a film composer: Blow-Up and The Spook Who Sat By the Door. We are thrilled to welcome Herbie Hancock on February 24 for a conversation about jazz and cinema and his extraordinary career. — Haden Guest

The 2014 Norton Lecturer at Harvard, Herbie Hancock will deliver a series of six lectures entitled “The Ethics of Jazz.”

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Gene Hackman crouched beside a toilet with audio equipment

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