Sir Roland Hanna: Everything I Love

Pianist Roland Pembrooks Hanna was born on February 10, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan and passed away on November 13, 2002 at the age of 70. He began his professional career in 1958, when he joined Benny Goodman’s band for a concert in Belgium. He was conservatoire trained and provided his services to Sarah Vaughan, Al Hibbler, Carmen McRae, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra and Charles Mingus. In 1970, President William Tubman of Liberia honored Hanna with Knighthood in 1970 for humanitarian services—henceforth, Sir Roland Hanna.

Sir Roland Hanna belonged to a rarified group of pianists that includes Hank Jones, Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, and Mulgrew Miller. These pianists share in common an urbanity and grace unbridled. Each has amassed talent in all styles and genres before stamping music with his own indelible character. Nowhere is this better heard than when Sir Roland, in particular, performs solo, as he does on Everything I Love, recorded shortly before his death. This album is one of two recordings Hanna made for IPO Recordings as their inaugural set of three releases (the remaining two are Sir Roland Hanna and Carrie Smith— I’ve Got a Right to Sing The Blues and Dubravka Tomsic— A Liszt Recital ).

Hanna drinks deep and provides an expansive breadth of the American Song Canon. He performs a liberal sprinkling of Cole Porter with the title cut and a very balladic "You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To." Two Sondheim chestnuts in "Comedy Tonight" and "Send in the Clowns" grace the package, each played with sensitivity and resourcefulness. The highpoint of the recording is Hanna’s own "Bags—A Tribute" which exists as a set of variations on Milt Jackson’s "Bag’s Groove." This is thrilling and well performed.

Sir Roland Hanna has left us a beautiful love letter in the form of Everything I Love. We are blessed that he thought of us before leaving.

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