Herbie Hancock (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Iconic jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Herbie Hancock will soon be the namesake of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, NPR reports. Come January 1, the foundation will be renamed the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz as a tribute to Hancock, who has been the institute’s chairman for the past 15 years. Of the honor, Hancock said in a press statement:
“Having the Institute named in my honor is tremendously humbling and represents a profound moment for my family and me. I’m looking forward to continuing in my role as Institute Chairman and carrying on and expanding the organization’s important worldwide jazz education and humanitarian initiatives... We will continue teaching the history and importance of jazz, its traditions and improvisation, along with exploring new directions and horizons for the future. Of utmost importance to the Institute and our programs is to highlight the ethics of jazz, which are humanitarian in nature.”
