Herbie Hancock performing Monday night at Wolf Trap. Photo by Andrew Propp, courtesy of Wolf Trap

Superlatives run free when describing Herbie Hancock‘s nearly 50 years on the music scene. A consummate artist, he has been a pioneer throughout his career, breaking ground in genres ranging from straight-ahead jazz to electronic music. Despite his status as a jazz legend, it was still somewhat of a shock to all when his latest album, River: The Joni Letters, won 2008’s Grammy for Album of the Year, beating out the likes of Kanye West. The album, a warm tribute to another artistic treasure, Joni Mitchell, features a selection of her songs, some done as instrumentals, and others featuring the vocal talents of Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Norah Jones, and Mitchell herself. This new material is what separated Monday night’s performance at Wolf Trap from last year’s stellar show at the Birchmere, as Hancock & Co. delivered a performance that proved a jazz musician need not sacrifice integrity or artistry by choosing to play commercial music.

An aggressive funk groove courtesy of master drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, who played with Joni Mitchell in the 80s, opened the show and served as the bedrock for “Actual Proof”, a fusion workout that showcased the instrumental prowess of the band. After the warmup, Hancock welcomed guest vocalists Amy Keys and Sonya Kitchell for the Joni classic, “River”. With Keyes providing harmonies, Kitchell’s airy tone proved a worthy vehicle for the song’s wistful lyric, while Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke‘s chirping comp style provided a surprisingly effective lilt to not only this song, but the entire set.