I went to hear Herbie Hancock at the Eastman Theatre's Kodak Hall with high expectations. Over a five-decade career Hancock has done just about everything from straight-ahead jazz to funk. He's written some of the most brilliant tunes in the history of the music, and he's still one of the greatest pianists on the planet. So what could go wrong?

First, he's a pretty idiosyncratic guy. There seemed to be some sort of delay, and when the band finally came out, he rambled on for a while. The first notes were played at about 8:30 p.m. He explained that in the first part of the show the band would revisit some older songs and, in the second part, preview his new album (out next week).

He's certainly got some great older tunes to explore: "Watermelon Man," "Cantaloupe Island," "Maiden Voyage," etc. But aside from "Cantaloupe Island," they were all but unrecognizable. (For instance, he may or may not have played something like "Maiden Voyage" --- I thought I heard a possible quote.)

But "Watermelon Man" was combined with "Seven Teens," a complicated time-signature tune by guitarist Lionel Loueke. It dissolved into a silly duet with Loueke, an otherwise great guitarist. Another early tune was the Headhunters' "Actual Proof," which was a morass of funk and electronic effects. Part of the problem was the drummer endlessly riding the cymbals and burying everything else.

I'm not saying an artist like Hancock, known for constantly moving forward in his music, should recreate his records. But he's gotten so far away from what made some of his older tunes great, that there's almost no point in playing them. And when he's moving around with his keytar (keyboard held like guitar), one of the world's greatest pianists is reduced to playing gimmicky little sound-effect riffs.

The second half debuted "The Imagine Project," which is an international affair composed of tunes that Hancock regards as significant. Hancock said Rochester was the first stop on the tour and it might be rough. That wasn't the problem.

Major singers from around the world appear on the album, but in concert, the songs are sung by band members: an excellent singer (didn't catch her name) who also covered Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark," the bassist, another keyboard player, and Loueke. They were all strong vocalists and the songs --- "Imagine," "The Times They Are A Changin'," "Don't Give Up" --- are all meaningful classics. (Wait a minute, "Don't Give Up"?)

The trouble for me was that Hancock's band was transformed into a very extravagant cover band with a hell of a pianist. And, in a Herbie Hancock concert, I'd like to hear more Herbie Hancock.

Earlier, I caught a fine set by Russell Malone at Kilbourn Hall. Ever since I heard his infectious "Sweet Georgia Peach" on the radio 12 years ago, he's been one of my favorite guitarists. He didn't play that, but he played some wonderful ballads, including "Witchcraft" and "More Than You Know."

Malone is a classic jazz guitarist in the tradition of Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, and (early) George Benson. He's as solid as they come and his quartet was every bit as good.

I only got to hear half a set by Montreal-based pianist François Bourassa's quartet at Xerox Auditorium. They were more cerebral, but also played a high-quality show.

Wednesday I'll be checking out Steve Turre at Kilbourn Hall, pianist John Taylor at Christ Church, and guitarist/singer Dominic Mancuso at the Rochester Club's Italian Jazz series.