[Photo &] A Live Performance by Jazz Master Herbie Hancock, 86, Sets the Seoul Jazz Festival Stage Ablaze with “The End of Spring Days”

“The audience is part of my family.” Herbie Hancock’s heartfelt confession lit up the night sky over Seoul.

“The return of a master,” ruling the keys at age 86

On the 24th at the Olympic Park 88 Grass Square, as darkness deepened, he appeared to close out the 18th Seoul Jazz Festival, blasting out explosive energy that made his age of 86 seem irrelevant. This legend of jazz, returning to Korea for the first time in 11 years, strapped on a Keytar and strode to the front of the stage, overwhelming the crowd. Two hands—wrinkled and caught in close-ups on a giant LED screen—kept dazzling the keys as if proving the “sacred trajectory” of a 64-year music career.

A genre destroyer flaunts an “instinct that transcends the times”

Since his debut in 1962, Herbie Hancock has been an icon of innovation, transplanting punk, rock, and “electronic music” into the grammar of jazz. His credentials—14 Grammy wins and an Academy Award for Music—were not just relics of past glory. On this night, as timeless hits spanning half a century such as “Head Hunters” and “Rockit” filled the hall, audiences of all ages surrendered themselves to the polished groove. The tightly synchronized bass and drum sessions, guided by the master, delivered “the perfect auditory ecstasy”.

Comforting a fellow musician turned into a star, honoring Wayne Shorter

At the moment the performance hit its peak, Herbie Hancock called to mind the late Wayne Shorter, his longtime musical companion. “He has left this world, but he still breathes inside our hearts.” His heavy eulogy left before performing the beloved “Footprints” filled the hall with deep emotion. Was it passion that went beyond sadness? His unconventional stage manner—cutting through the air and leaping in tandem with a guitarist—was more than enough to steal the audience’s spirit. The hot “Honk Kisses” that capped the finale was the most elegant farewell he offered to Korean fans.

The end of spring turned into music, the lingering echo left by “Seoul Jazz Festival”

Now in its 18th year, the Seoul Jazz Festival unfolded on four stages around Olympic Park, with an overwhelming scale. The heat unleashed by world-class artists such as John Baptiste and Janelle Monae made even the early spell of hot weather feel forgettable. Armed with sunglasses and picnic blankets, audiences lay on the grass and enjoyed “the end of spring days” with a cool breeze. United across generations by music alone, the festival wrapped up with “the best cultural catharsis”, alongside the master’s perfect melodies.