Herbie Hancock at Hill Auditorium

2025 North American Autumn Tour

All of us here at The Hill, located right on the U of M flagship campus and oh so academic, are SO excited to welcome Herbie Hancock back to the campus for the first time in a long time  - and for the first time for a whole new group of jazz enthusiasts like you and I!  And at eighty-four years old, it’s impressive and ever amazing that Mr.Hancock is still able to give us life changing, relaxing and atmospheric experiences all centered around jazz jams. Herbie will be hitting thirty six dates across the world from June to November - starting with a FREE SHOW in Paris on June 29th, hopping over to the Summertime Festival in Rome in the middle of July, then back to America starting in Urbana Illinois’ Tryon Theatre,Minnesota at the Orpheum,  and of course - a night right here in town at the The Hill to wrap up October right.

Born Herbert Jeffrey Hancock in the city and time of new age jazz, Chicago Illinois, Herbie began his career as a trumpeter in the Miles David Quintet - and though he wasn’t the main act at the time, he quickly began to showcase his talents as a main guy, and redefined the genre as a whole from jazz’s early 20th century post-bop sound. He experimented with funk, electro-jazz, and everything in between - using not only traditional instruments in his regular line up, but also playing with synthesizers in his live performances, and collaborating with other artists in genres across the spectrum. For all of his work and lifelong dedication to the craft, Herbie has won 14 GRAMMYS, an Oscar, and has been ranked as the greatest keyboard player of all time. He is a professor at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, and he is generally considered one of the living legends of the experimental jazz era. 

Herbie’s mega-influence comes with a longer list of accolades that we could name, but, you just have to listen to some of his music yourself. We personally recommend checking out his song Chameleon or Come Running to Me if you’re trying to decide if you want to come to the October show. But be warned - we pretty much expect those tracks to lock in the decision for you. Herbie masterfully glides over the keys, providing an electric and funky backing to his sound that is rarely seen even these days in modern jazz.

Trust us - you won’t want to miss Herbie Hancock as he comes to town, and you’ll maybe want to grab a pair of tickets while you’re at it. We’re so ready to welcome you to our home here, and to have the best time ever in the crowd with you! See you soon, right here in the heart of the city!