How to sum up a career over seven decades which has spanned bebop mastery, pioneering jazz fusion and electro funk audacity? Let the maestro Herbie Hancock do it for you across a shape-shifting two-hour set.

There was palpable excitement in the Playhouse at the prospect of meeting one of the jazz (and funk and electro) greats. Hancock wore his legendary status lightly – so lightly that he was literally jumping for joy at the reaction from the crowd.

Wise to the curfews that come with modern festival appearances, he and his expert, supercool trio served up a smorgasbord of back catalogue cuts in one extended number called Overture, encompassing wah-wah guitar, liquid funky bass, freeform progressive jazz and some nimble piano from Hancock.

^{Pictures: Jess Shurte}

There was a frisson of happy recognition when Rockit popped up with guitarist Lionel Loueke adding some breathy skat to an already tasty mix, and some warm noodle to the Terence Blanchard arrangement of Wayne Shorter’s Footprints.

Dancing through the decades, Hancock revisited Actual Proof from his fusion days leading The Headhunters and his flirtation with the vocoder on a mellow Come Running to Me from 1978 album Sunlight before landing on the supremely groovy modal jazz classic 'Chameleon'. 

Reviewed on 7 August at Edinburgh Playhouse as part of Edinburgh International Festival.