When Herbie Hancock took home a Grammy for Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters two years ago, appreciate for a moment that contemporary music was in love and going to “Rehab” with Amy Winehouse and that in 43 years, a jazz album had never taken top honors.

When Usher and Quincy Jones announced his name, Hancock recalls to CNN, “I didn't hear it because I was so dumbfounded and shocked.”

The 12 time Grammy winner released his 48th studio album titled The Imagine Project, recreating the work of Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Bob Marley.

Inspired by the Congolese group Konono N°1, the album features Jeff Beck, Tinariwen, Pink, John Legend, Indie.Arie, Dave Matthews, as well as sitarist Anoushka Shankar and Brazilian singer Ceu.

“If I didn't do something special in some way, then why should I do it in the first place,” Hancock said. “People paid their hard-earned money to see you, you want to be able to give them something that they will be happy about having spent their money for. You want to give them something of yourself. Fortunately, I had great teachers like Miles Davis, who said he'd pay us to think outside the box.”