The Many Directions of Herbie Hancock with Marcus J. Moore

This listening session will trace the varied sounds of Herbie Hancock, a musician whose career has been defined by curiosity, transformation, and an almost boundless appetite for discovery. We will move through the acoustic elegance of his early Blue Note recordings, the harmonic daring of his work with Miles Davis, the cosmic explorations of Mwandishi, the deep-pocketed futurism of Head Hunters, and the experimental disco and funk that carried his music into new decades.

Guided by the noted author and music journalist Marcus J. Moore, this is an opportunity to listen closely to an artist who has spent more than six decades asking the same essential question: What else can music become? Across styles, technologies, and generations, Hancock has remained on the move—forever reaching and finding new doors to open.

Marcus J. Moore is an author, curator, and music journalist whose work has become essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the emotional and political undercurrents of Black artistry. With a voice that blends academic rigor, lived experience, and deep listening, Moore has spent two decades documenting the intersections of jazz, hip-hop, soul, and experimental music, tracing how those sounds shape identity and community.

Moore’s work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, The Washington Post, TIME, The Nation, and The Atlantic, where he has cultivated a reputation for essays that combine reporting, criticism, and history. In 2020, Moore released his first book, "The Butterfly Effect," a groundbreaking cultural biography exploring Kendrick Lamar’s rise and his transformative impact on Black America. In 2024, Moore followed that success with "High and Rising," an acclaimed examination of the legendary hip-hop trio De La Soul and their revolutionary place within hip-hop history.

Beyond journalism and authorship, Moore has become known for creating spaces centered on intentional listening and dialogue. Through public listening sessions, artist conversations, liner notes, and live programming, he has championed the idea that music deserves patience, context, and communal engagement. His work often highlights artists operating beyond the commercial mainstream, particularly musicians exploring the spiritual and experimental edges of genre.

Moore belongs to a lineage of cultural writers who understand that music journalism can preserve history as much as document it, helping audiences better hear sound and the world that produced it.