HERBIE HANCOCK AND HIS LEGENDARY BAND THE HEADHUNTERS ON TOUR

Compiled By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

Herbie Hancock's hand-picked band from the 1970s perform are still rockin' it. The group is heading out on its 50th Anniversary Tour starting Feb. 9 in Brooklyn, New York.

The jazz-funk ensemble will perform songs from their newly released album, Speakers In The House. The Headhunters’ masterful musicians include iconic percussionist: Bill Summers, drummer Mike Clark, bassist Chris Severin, saxophonist Donald Harrison and pianist Kyle Roussel.

The Headhunters latest studio effort celebrates this American music institution's 50th anniversary in 2023, having formed around Herbie Hancock's classic recording, Head Hunters, in 1973.

An eight-track set available on Ropeadope Records/Devil Hills Entertainment, highlights from Speakers In The House include the New Orleans' second-line grooves of "Rocking At The Mole House," the world music-influenced jazz-fusion of "Kongo Square" and a modern post-bop re-imagination of the classic Headhunters' composition "Actual Proof," first released on their 1974 album, Thrust.

Joining Summers, Clark, and Harrison for the recording are keyboardist Stephen Gordon and bassist Reggie Washington, plus special guests Jerry Z on organ, One Drop aka Scott Roberts on drums, Fode Sissoko on Kora, and Ashlin Parker on trumpet.

Few bands can boast a history as fortuitous and storied as The Headhunters. That history began in 1973 when iconic musician Herbie Hancock formed the band featuring saxophonist/clarinetist Bennie Maupin, bassist Paul Jackson Jr., drummer Harvey Mason, and percussionist Bill Summers.
What each member of The Headhunters brought to the table helped forge a timeless legacy and history that most bands can only dream of. Their blend of jazz with funk and rock would sell over a million albums worldwide. At the same time, the band's legacy would inspire musicians of every genre for years to come, be sampled by various hip-hop artists throughout the '80s and '90s, and influence countless musicians' styles of playing today.

The Headhunters impact remains a global phenomenon, and their time with Hancock proved to be a life changing experience. The band has released six more full-length albums including Thrust in 1974 with the addition of drummer Mike Clark, and stepping out on their own sans Hancock's involvement on Survival of the Fittest in 1975 and on Straight from the Gate in 1977.

Following sold out shows earlier this Fall in San Francisco and Seattle, The Headhunters plan to tour throughout 2023. The current line-up features percussionist Bill Summers, drummer Mike Clark, bassist Chris Severin, saxophonist Donald Harrison and pianist Kyle Roussel.

Here are some of The Headhunters upcoming tour dates.

Feb. 9 at Brooklyn Bowl (8 p.m.)
61 Wythe Avenue
Williamsburg, NY
General Admission $25.00

Feb. 10 at Park City Music Hall (9 p.m.)
2926 Fairfield Ave
Bridgeport, CT
Ticket Link

Feb. 11 at Brooklyn Bowl (8 p.m.)
1009 Canal Street
Philadelphia, PA
General Admission $18.00

Feb. 13 at City Winery (7:30 p.m.)
80 Beverly Street
Boston, MA
Tickets $20.00 - $35.00
Citywinery.com

Feb 15 Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (at 7:30 p.m.)
135 Congress Street
Portsmouth, N.H.
Tickets $10.00 - $65.00
Jimmysoncongress.com.

Editor's Note: Information used in this report obtained from Prana Media Relations/Publicity.