Herbie Hancock brings quest for personal and musical growth to Music at the Intersection

Herbie Hancock made his mark on jazz in the 1960s as a talented composer and bandleader, as well as the twentysomething pianist who pushed the boundaries of post-bop with the Miles Davis Quintet.

Then the one-time acoustic purist fell in love with the Fender Rhodes electric piano, after Davis prompted him to play the instrument in a studio session without warning. Hancock evolved his sound into synthesizer-fueled funk with 1970s group the Headhunters, and later embraced early hip-hop and incorporated elements from electronic dance music. He’s also continued to explore acoustic jazz with saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Chick Corea and others.

His last record, “The Imagine Project” in 2010, saw him recording in seven countries as he brought dozens of musicians together for cross-genre collaborations, serving his mission as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.

On Sunday, Hancock will headline the second night of the 2023 Music at the Intersection festival at Grand Center.

His quintet will include Terence Blanchard on trumpet, James Genus on bass, Lionel Loueke on guitar and Jaylen Petinaud on drums.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Jeremy D. Goodwin asked Hancock about his current sources for musical inspiration and his memories of Shorter, the longtime friend and collaborator who died in March.