Hancock and a new look

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock is coming to town and has a pre-tour chat regarding Miles Davis, keytars, exercise and more.

Herbie Hancock performing with a Moog Liberation keytar. Picture: Getty images

Today, our resident pianist turned arts editor Ashleigh Wilson meets jazz legend Herbie Hancock to talk Miles Davis, keytars and exercise — it’s not what you think — ahead of the 78-year-old American’s upcoming performances in Australia.

It is a wonderfully illuminating piece, beautifully complemented by artist Tom Jellett’s Blue Note-inspired illustration for today’s cover. It all helps to mark what is an auspicious week for Review, and not just on account of today’s stories, among them the interview on this page by Andrew McMillen with White Stripe Jack White, Rosemary Neill’s fascinating piece on the songs of World War I, and a superb story in the Books pages by the world’s most popular grammar guru, The New Yorker’s Mary Norris.

It’s a big week because we have big news. Next Saturday we are relaunching Review with a new design aesthetic and a host of new features, columns and digital initiatives. The relaunch has been a year in the making and the designing and the thinking and the writing and the photographing and the illustrating and the researching, and we hope you love it as much as we do.

I won’t spoil the surprises here but for one of them: we are bringing back readers’ letters. We want to hear, and to publish, what you have to say. So please contact us with your feedback at [e-mail]. As usual, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, where we also love to read your thoughts. Last but not least, we have two new and very welcome additions to the Review team. Bridget Cormack was last month appointed deputy editor (Review), and music writer McMillen and his wife Rachael welcomed a deputy of their own, a baby boy. Congratu­lations to all. In the meantime, please enjoy this week’s edition, and for extra content go to theaustralian.com.au/review.