Articles | Popular | Future

Hank Jones: In Copenhagen - Live at Jazzhus Slukefter 1983

By Chris Mosey

Hank Jones' pianistic style was born out of a fusing of Harlem stride piano with the virtuoso approach of Art Tatum and the harmonic daring of bebop. Jones played with just about everyone in a long and illustrious career but remained modest concerning his musical achievements. When French journalist Francis Marmande, interviewing him in 2010, suggested that he was a giant of jazz, Jones begged to differ, describing himself rather as “a dwarf in the service of the music." Marmande ...

A Great Day in Harlem: The Spirit Lives - 50 Years On

By Ian Patterson

This encore presentation from January 2009 celebrates Jean Bach, director of A Great Day in Harlem. Ms. Bach died on May 27th at her home in Manhattan. She was 94.It is probably the most celebrated ensemble jazz portrait of all time. Fifty-seven of the greatest jazz musicians gathered together on the steps of a Harlem brownstone early one morning in August 1958--a living family tree of the history of jazz.And yet, the absentees from photographer Art ...

Tyree Glenn / Hank Jones Quintet/Sextet: Complete Recordings

By Joe Alterman

In the history of jazz, few pianists have been as prolific as the recently deceased Hank Jones. His tasteful and subtle playing is documented on literally thousands of recordings. Many of them are today known as jazz classics--benchmarks to the greatness of this music--and Jones' playing and support on all of them were crucial in creating those historic, beautiful and legendary legacies. For whatever reason, many of Jones' recordings have long been either forgotten, out of print, ...

Hank Jones: With Oliver Jones & the Great Jazz Trio

By Joel Roberts

Oliver Jones and Hank JonesPleased to Meet YouJustin Time2010 The Great Jazz TrioMoreoverTest of Time2010 Hank Jones continues his remarkable late-in-life surge of activity with this new release documenting his first-ever recorded encounter with Canadian piano mainstay Oliver Jones. Hank Jones was 90 when Pleased to Meet You was recorded two years ago in ...

Hank Jones / Oliver Jones: Pleased To Meet You

By Raul d'Gama Rose

What a surprise to hear the first-ever recording that joins piano maestros Hank Jones and Oliver Jones. A Detroit native, ninety-year-old Hank Jones is from the family that gave us Thad “Bartok with Wings" Jones and polyrhythmist Elvin Jones, and he has participated in historic bebop sessions with Charlie Parker and memorable duets with Tommy Flanagan. Montreal's Oliver Jones, who once followed in the footsteps of Oscar Peterson, has emerged to forge a virtuosic path as a ...

Hank Jones, Frank Wess, and Eddie Diehl

By Francis Lo Kee

Hank Jones/Christian McBride/Jimmy Cobb West of 5th Chesky 2006 Hank Jones and Frank Wess Hank and Frank Lineage 2006 Eddie Diehl Well, Here It Is... Lineage 2006

Hank Jones is the alpha and omega of jazz. What great musician hasn't he played with? ...

Hank Jones: Complete Recordings / Hanky Panky / 'S Wonderful

By Ken Dryden

Since making his debut recording as a leader in 1947, Hank Jones has continued to impress jazz fans for over five decades. Not only is he still recording in his late 80s, but some of his long out of print sessions are beginning to reappear on the market.

Hank Jones Complete Recordings Argo/Cadet/Golden Crest - Gambit 2005

The Gambit compilation of the Complete Recordings by the Hank Jones Quartet with Kenny Burrell and Barry ...

Hank Jones: Hanky Panky

By John Kelman

Octogenarian pianist Hank Jones' musical career has been consistently active since he first emerged in the late 1930s. However, Jones had an especially fruitful period as a leader during the 1970s, releasing no fewer than 25 albums between 1975 and 1980. Unfortunately, many of these recordings were originally released on Japanese labels like East Wind and Inner City, until now only available as expensive imports.

But 441 Records' Harvey Rosen created the subsidiary Test of Time Records to reissue many ...

Hank Jones: For My Father

By John Kelman

Some musicians are pure paradox, their personalities in no way reflecting the way they play. Others find their personal characteristics inextricably intertwined with their musical ones--trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, guitarist Bill Frisell, and saxophone legend Wayne Shorter immediately come to mind.

Octogenarian pianist Hank Jones--the eldest and last surviving member of the Jones triumvirate that included trumpeter Thad, who passed away in '86, and drummer Elvin, who left us in '04--has always demonstrated a musical elegance that is completely in keeping ...

Hank Jones: Havin' Fun

By Jason West

Hank Jones last performed at Jazz Alley in the summer of 2002, appearing each night of his week-long residency buttoned up in a black tuxedo. On that Saturday evening, July 20, the venerable 84-year-old was warmly welcomed by his first-set audience as he took the stage and settled himself at the piano bench, looking less like a jazz musician than a classical maestro about to begin a recital of masterworks. Which, of course, he did.

But instead of Mozart, Brahms ...

Hank Jones: The Talented Touch and Porgy and Bess

By Franz A. Matzner

The Talented Touch and Porgy and Bess reissues on one compact disc two albums originally recorded by pianist Hank Jones with two different groups in 1958. The album thus documents Jones' uniquely honed rhythmic sensibilities and insightful interpretive skill as he interacts with a range of musicians, including bassist Milt Jackson, guitarists Kenny Burrell and Barry Galbraith, as well as drummers Osie Johnson and Jones' brother, the legendary and recently departed Elvin Jones . While the first ...

Hank Jones/Milt Hinton/Bobby Rosengarden: The Trio

By Jeff Stockton

In an article published in the Village Voice a couple of years ago Gary Giddins traced a history of recorded jazz in song, year by year, and Hank Jones’ solo “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” was pegged as the noteworthy performance of 1977. As his rhythm section lays out, Jones tinkles his piano as if prompting a dream sequence, then leaves the song behind as he performs one harmonic digression after another before returning to the tune with an almost-barrelhouse ...