Herbie Hancock ambled on to the Concert Hall stage with his three-year-old grandson on Friday night. It was the only moment of a scintillating evening of funk-infused jazz that gave us pause to consider that Hancock is an octogenarian.

For the remainder of the night, he played like a man half his age. By show’s end, Hancock was doing star jumps. I kid you not.

Left to right: Herbie Hancock; Terence Blanchard and James Genus. Photo © Daniel Boud

It’s been four years since Hancock has played the Opera House. He returns with two veterans of that tour – Benin-born guitarist Lionel Loueke and electric bassist James Genus – a new drummer in Jaylen Petinaud, and trumpeter Terence Blanchard. Having the latter as sideman gives you some idea of the reverence with which Hancock continues to be held.

Swinging between grand piano, synthesiser and (inevitably) keytar, Hancock opened the set with an overture of what he described as “bits and pieces”, one that quickly locked into an insistent funk groove powered by Petinaud and Loueke’s wah-wah guitar, with Blanchard (on electronically-treated trumpet) sailing majestically on top with the melody lines.

At around the...