Track Listing

1. Stitched Up (Feat. John Mayer)
2. Sister Moon (Feat. Sting)
3. Gelo No Montanha (Feat. Trey Anastasio)
4. Hush, Hush, Hush (Feat. Annie Lennox)
5. Don't Explain (Feat. Damien Rice & Lisa Hannigan)
6. Safiatou (Feat. Santana & Angelique Kidjo)
7. I Do It For Your Love (Feat. Paul Simon)
8. A Song For You (Feat. Christina Aguilera)
9. When Love Comes To Town (Feat. Jonny Lang and Joss Stone)
10. I Just Called To Say I Love You (Feat. Raul Midon)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39234 in Music
• Released on: 2005-08-29
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Possibilities by jazz piano/keyboard legend Herbie Hancock, with songs by Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Leon Russell, is a multigenerational masterpiece. Rock's "it boy" John Mayer leads off the CD with the spare, bouncy opener, "Stitched Up." Brit-born soul girl Joss Stone and bluesman Johnny Long get down on the gutbucket "When Love Comes to Town." Christina Aguilera's excellent vocals illuminate "A Song for You." Not to be outdone, Annie Lennox delivers an operatic take on Holly Cole's "Hush, Hush, Hush," while Sting's "Sister Moon" swings with stealthy syncopations. Santana and the Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo provide the world flavor on "Safiotou," and the dreamy "Gelo No Montana," with ex-Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio, is the lone instrumental. Hancock's tight solos and intelligent orchestral synths radiate all of the tracks. Like Frank Sinatra's Duets and Ray Charles's Genius Loves Company, Possibilities introduces Hancock to a new and awestruck generation. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews

Come on Herbie, play some jazz
I can't decide what I think of this album. Hancock is a hero of mine, maybe the best jazz pianist ever (certainly the most versatile) and an astoundingly imaginative and innovative musician. So at times on this CD it feels like he is slumming it a bit - I mean Sting has his place but covering one of his own songs on a Hancock album is probably not it. Joss Stone likewise.

I guess it's fair to stay that if you're a fan of Sting, Paul Simon, Annie Lennox, Damien Rice etc you'll probably like the sophisticated pop-jazz on here. I find these artists unremarkable, and maybe I'm a snob, but I certainly wouldn't want to hear more than a song each of them in collaboration with HH.

The duet with Cristina Aguilera on the other hand was a big surprise - I had no idea she was such a good singer. This is the outstanding track on the album - there is real energy between Aguilera and Hancock, and I would like to hear them do a whole album together. I ask myself why she wastes her exceptional voice on the trashy pop she turns out.

The track with John Mayer is also very good.

So - an intersting curiosity, with some high spots, but not to be compared with Hancock's otheradventures (disco, funk, Gershwin).

A pleasant and endearing album
I've always been an admirer of Herbie Hancock and when I saw the preview of this album I was keen to see what was on it. What a wonderful coming together of minds, talents and performances! From Paul Simon to Joss Stone; from Sting to Santana. Every track is unique and incomparable. the Annie Lennox duet 'Hush Hush Hush' is phenomenal. Even Damien Rice comes out of his shell to do justice to the evergreen Don't Explain'. A great wind-down or dinner album and one to impress your guests with. Buy it with ease of mind.

Possibilities - a review
Let's start by saying that Herbie Hancock is quite simply one of the greatest jazz piano players of all time and i have admired his playing for many years.But, with this album i feel he has sold himself short really because there isn't much here for the jazz pureist.A nice set of tunes it certainly is with many special guests (mainly from the pop world),but he really can do this sort of stuff in his sleep .
All in all this will certainly generate some interest from the buyers of jazz/pop crossover artists but on behalf of all the real jazz fans - come on Herbie and give as an album to really get our teeth into.
This album is "nice" but nice is not a term you normally use to describe jazz.