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Pianist Hilton Ruiz was born May 29, 1952. He took to the piano early in life and became known as a child prodigy. By age 8, he had performed a Mozart Sonata at Carnegie Hall. |
With a strong background in classical music, Ruiz began exploring Latin music and jazz in his early teens.
By age 14 he was gigging professionally, working primarily with Latin-music groups. Ruiz progressed quickly and moved on to work with major jazz artists like Frank Foster, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson and Joe Newman. He rounded out his jazz education, studying with Cedar Walton and Mary Lou Williams, who taught Ruiz some of the older styles of jazz like ragtime, stride and Boogie Woogie.
In 1973, Ruiz joined Rahsaan Roland Kirk's band, a four-year association he considered to be one of his most profound musical and educational experiences. He went on to play with George Coleman Pharoah Sanders, Clark Terry, Archie Shepp, Charles Mingus, and Betty Carter. Beginning in the early 1980s, Ruiz began performing and recording as a leader, with nearly 20 albums under his own as well as a number of recordings as a sideman with the biggest names in jazz and Latin jazz.
In May 2006, Ruiz was in New Orleans to work on benefit album for Hurricane Katrina victims. On the evening of May 19, he was found severely injured and unconscious outside of a restaurant in the French quarter, the result of an apparent fall. Ruiz remained in a coma until his death on June 6 at East Jefferson General Hospital in New Orleans.
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Set List for Hilton Ruiz on Piano Jazz:Home Coming (Ruiz)
Gemini (Heath)
If I Were A Bell (Loesser)
There's No You (Adair, Hopper)
It's Easy To Remember (Hart, Rogers)
Mary's Waltz (H. Nichols)
Have You Met Miss Jones (Hart, Rodgers)
Soon (Hart, Rodgers)
I'll Remember April (DePaul, Johnston, Raye)
By age 14 he was gigging professionally, working primarily with Latin-music groups. Ruiz progressed quickly and moved on to work with major jazz artists like Frank Foster, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson and Joe Newman. He rounded out his jazz education, studying with Cedar Walton and Mary Lou Williams, who taught Ruiz some of the older styles of jazz like ragtime, stride and Boogie Woogie.
In 1973, Ruiz joined Rahsaan Roland Kirk's band, a four-year association he considered to be one of his most profound musical and educational experiences. He went on to play with George Coleman Pharoah Sanders, Clark Terry, Archie Shepp, Charles Mingus, and Betty Carter. Beginning in the early 1980s, Ruiz began performing and recording as a leader, with nearly 20 albums under his own as well as a number of recordings as a sideman with the biggest names in jazz and Latin jazz.
In May 2006, Ruiz was in New Orleans to work on benefit album for Hurricane Katrina victims. On the evening of May 19, he was found severely injured and unconscious outside of a restaurant in the French quarter, the result of an apparent fall. Ruiz remained in a coma until his death on June 6 at East Jefferson General Hospital in New Orleans.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
Subscribe!
Set List for Hilton Ruiz on Piano Jazz: