Herbie sees all

The wise grandfather of jazz and soul Herbie Hancock has returned with his latest musical endeavour The Imagine Project. The record follows the same basic formula as his last two releases and sees his collaboration with contemporary artists ranging from Pink to Chaka Khan. With this project, Hancock seeks to create a veritable melting pot of world music, and for the most part, he succeeds.

The weakest track is the most disappointing addition to the album, not only is the album’s title a nod to John Lennon’s unyielding message of optimism, but the album opens with a version of Imagine which features everyone from Pink and Seal to India Arie and Omou Sangare. It would be easy to assume that such talent mixed with what is often voted the most perfect track would be a formula for success, but somehow with the attempt to create a Caribbean feel to the track falls a little flat. Lennon’s message gets slightly lost in translation and we are left with an album opener which doesn’t quite set the boundary we expect from Hancock. The track sounds less Caribbean and more like singing Imagine over The Sims loading screen music.
 

The strongest track is a version of Peter Gabriel’s Don’t Give Up, in which the silken voice of John Legend blends so perfectly with the quirky graininess of Pink’s as to become an audible advertisement for Halls. The track retains Gabriel’s signature beautiful musical oddness while adding a fresh layer of pain.

Dave Matthews takes on a Middle Eastern flair in Tomorrow Never Knows and gives it his own patented blend of psychedelic charm. The Chieftains and Lisa Hannigan bring laid-back strolling Irish charm to the table in The Times, They are a’ Changin’. As cliché as it sounds, there really does seem to be something for everyone here.
 

The main issue with the record is one that is unusual for an artist like Hancock who is so renowned for breaking musical boundaries. There is nothing ‘new’ or experimental with this record. The songs and artists blend beautifully together, and Hancock succeeds in bringing us on an aural trip around the world, but it’s difficult not to feel that the name The Imagine Project is never quite lived up to. I can’t escape the feeling that more musical risks could have been taken to create something new, intriguing and special. Where The Imagine Project works is that in carrying a lot of weight with its impressive list of musical giants and an uplifting message, and that can never be a bad thing. It’s about time the 21st Century had a love-in.

Ciara O’Brien