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John Hicks was born on Dec. 21, 1941 in Atlanta. His father was a Methodist minister, heavily involved in the civil rights movement and music was a passion that was shared throughout the family. |
The family relocated to Los Angeles soon after Hicks was born. He recalls that he started noodling on the piano around age 7 or 8 and having his first lessons with his mother. He eventually began more formal lessons with the church organist. The family moved again when John was 14, to St. Louis and there the young pianist attended high school with fellow future jazz greats Philip Wilson and Lester Bowie.
After high school, Hicks went on to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and briefly attended the prestigious music schools of Berklee and Julliard. A gig backing singer Della Reese brought hicks to New York for the first time, and he stayed on there when his work with Reese was through. He spent the next two years with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, from 1964 to 1966. This was followed by a two-year stint backing singer Betty Carter and another two-year gig, this time with Woody Herman's Big Band from 1968-1970.
With this varied and high-level experience, Hicks kicked off a successful career as an in-demand sideman working with such artists as Pharaoh Sanders, Freddie Hubbard, Clark Terry, Sonny Rollins, Jon Hendricks and Carmen McRae. Hicks was also a regular with the Mingus Big Band. When not backing other players Hicks led his own trios and ensembles. Some of his later performances featured his wife, flautist Elise Wood.
On the Sunday before his death on May 10, 2006, Hicks had played a concert at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Manhattan -- a parish where his father, had served as senior minister and where Hicks had played his first gig upon arriving in New York. Hicks was 64.
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Set List for John Hicks on Piano Jazz:Star-Crossed Lovers (Ellington, Strayhorn)
That Old Devil Called Love (Harburg, Lane)
Serenata (Anderson, Parish)
I Fall In Love Too Easily (Cahn, Styne)
Some Other Spring (Kitchings, Herzog)
After the Morning (Hicks)
Free Piece (Hicks, McPartland)
Prelude to A Kiss (Ellington, Mills, Gordon)
John and Marian's Blues (Hicks, McPartland)
After high school, Hicks went on to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and briefly attended the prestigious music schools of Berklee and Julliard. A gig backing singer Della Reese brought hicks to New York for the first time, and he stayed on there when his work with Reese was through. He spent the next two years with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, from 1964 to 1966. This was followed by a two-year stint backing singer Betty Carter and another two-year gig, this time with Woody Herman's Big Band from 1968-1970.
With this varied and high-level experience, Hicks kicked off a successful career as an in-demand sideman working with such artists as Pharaoh Sanders, Freddie Hubbard, Clark Terry, Sonny Rollins, Jon Hendricks and Carmen McRae. Hicks was also a regular with the Mingus Big Band. When not backing other players Hicks led his own trios and ensembles. Some of his later performances featured his wife, flautist Elise Wood.
On the Sunday before his death on May 10, 2006, Hicks had played a concert at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Manhattan -- a parish where his father, had served as senior minister and where Hicks had played his first gig upon arriving in New York. Hicks was 64.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
Subscribe!
Set List for John Hicks on Piano Jazz: