IN THE NEWS:
Diana Krall, Animal Collective and Herbie Hancock are among the many acts slated to perform during the Hollywood Bowl's 2012 season, along with performances of Mel Brooks' "The Producers" and several classical concerts.
President Obama celebrates on the eve of his 50th birthday with a fundraiser featuring Herbie Hancock and OK Go. 
Herbie Hancock, Jennifer Hudson and OK Go, three artists with Chicago roots, will head up the entertainment portion of a planned birthday party and fundraiser celebrating the president's 50th birthday on August 3rd.
Simply put, the major Grammy nominations are all about the kids this year. No legends received nominations in the general categories, so album, record and song will not be used as "lifetime achievement" awards to honor an overlooked musician. Still, many music vets did get their acknowledgment in several other categories.
Herbie Hancock and his Imagine Project Band will perform at this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, toward the end of his European tour. After returning to the U.S., Hancock will perform at the 50th anniversary celebration of the presidency of John F. Kennedy in Washington, D.C.
Spirit. It's a crucial element in any show that attempts to be as broad-ranging as the 70th birthday celebration the Hollywood Bowl threw for Herbie Hancock on Wednesday night (9/1).
On his first album since his unexpected Album of the Year Grammy win for 2007's "River: the Joni Letters," pianist Herbie Hancock reverts to the pop-musician all-star approach of that award-winning album's predecessor, "Possibilities." Hancock has gone global on "The Imagine Project," reaching out to Brazil's Ceu, Ireland's Chieftains, Colombia's Juanes and the Sahara's Tinariwen to perform on tracks alongside Dave Matthews, Pink and Seal.
In a week that saw the release of Herbie Hancock's latest album, "The Imagine Project," the jazz legend took to the stage at Carnegie Hall in New York to perform the East Coast half of his 70th birthday celebration.
With the launch of his next North American tour just around the corner, Herbie Hancock is considering a reprise run of his 2009 U.S. and Europe tour with classical pianist Lang Lang.
