Hank Jones plays at the Jazzaldia Festival in San Sebastian, Spain in July 2009. Jones continued performing up until his death.
Hank Jones plays at the Jazzaldia Festival in San Sebastian, Spain in July 2009. Jones continued performing up until his death.
Hank Jones, a pianist whose career spanned the majority of jazz history and whose playing reflected the lion's share of it, has died. Born in 1918, he was 91.
Ninety-one! Chronologically, that means his formative years predated the bebop revolution of the mid-1940s. His inspiration came from even earlier sources: as he told NPR's Liane Hansen last year, his main influences were Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum. He had already absorbed stride piano as a vernacular before starting his career in the company of Swing Era giants — and only afterwards did he begin working with the Charlie Parkers, Dizzy Gillespies and Ella Fitzgeralds of the world. After that point, he never stopped performing — even this year, his schedule was booked through the fall.
Naturally, he was a man of great sagacity and swing — and elegance, as I myself noted backstage at A Jazz Piano Christmas 2007. A full remembrance of his life's work is coming for air. In the meanwhile, do see these features from NPR's recent archives:
- The aforementioned interview with Weekend Edition's Liane Hansen, conducted in 2009.
- UPDATE: Hank Jones obituary from All Things Considered
- Hank Jones also spoke with Fresh Air's Terry Gross a few years ago.
- Jones sat in with guest host Bill Charlap for an episode of Piano Jazz last year.
- Here's a 2007 overview of his career, from Tom Vitale on All Things Considered.
- A few considerations of Jones' music: his Fats Waller tribute in the NPR Basic Jazz Record Library, his recent recording with James Moody on Fresh Air (hear a track here), and a song from his duet record with Joe Lovano.
- A Jazz Piano Christmas 2007, as previously referenced.
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