{"id":230,"date":"2009-08-07T13:45:10","date_gmt":"2009-08-07T17:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/2009\/08\/paeans_to_hank_jones\/"},"modified":"2011-04-28T16:33:42","modified_gmt":"2011-04-28T20:33:42","slug":"paeans_to_hank_jones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2009\/08\/paeans_to_hank_jones.html","title":{"rendered":"Paeans to Hank Jones"},"content":{"rendered":"

My profile of pianist <\/span>Hank Jones,<\/span><\/a> who turned 91 on July 31, is in the August issue of Down Bea<\/span>t and excerpted here<\/a>. Space limitations disallowed any of the resounding shout-outs I asked for from a bevy of musicians to make the print edition: No such problem on the web! So read what several pianists with styles of their own, and one of Hank’s most admiring collaborators, \u00c2\u00a0have to say about an eminently modest but extraordinarily accomplished gentleman.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

“Hank Jones, our high
\ndignitary of the piano, patriarch of the Detroit piano legacy, NEA Jazz Master,
\nand elegant gentleman, personifies regal sophistication and impeccable taste in
\nthe nuance of sound palette through touch, melody, harmony and rhythm. Time and
\ntime again, he expresses the comprehensive variety of carefully selected
\nchoices which make up his striking body of work. He is an authentic virtuoso of
\nthe highest order, an inspiration and soaring affirmation of our own
\npossibilities. It is always an extraordinary experience to hear Mr. Jones, live
\nor on record, and it is a great honor to know him. Thank you Mr. Jones.”
\n— Geri Allen<\/a> <\/b>(currently touring with Andrew Cyrille<\/span>, Oliver Lake<\/span> and Reggie Workman<\/span> as Geri Allen + Trio 3, which has a new album, At This Time<\/a> issued on Intakt)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n


\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“For me, when I think of
\nHank Jones, the first thing that comes to mind is his ‘elegance and
\nfinesse’ in jazz piano playing. I remember meeting him backstage at the
\nBroadway show ‘Ain’t Misbehavin” where he shined all night long as he
\nperformed flawlessly the music of Fats Waller<\/span>, and years later I was lucky to
\nmeet him once again at the Bern Jazz Festival. By then I had already met his
\nbrothers Thad at the Vanguard, as well as Elvin<\/span> and his wife Keiko<\/span> at the Blue
\nNote. I believe Hank is definitely one of the legendary jazz pianists of all
\ntimes. — <\/span>Michel Camilo<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(2009-2010 Jazz Creative Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, he plays at the Newport Jazz Festival this weekend).<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

“Hank Jones is a great
\nmaster of jazz piano, whom I respect and admire. \u00c2\u00a0He hasn’t been a direct
\ninfluence on my playing, but I’ve seen him live in concert and have heard a lot
\nof recordings of him. \u00c2\u00a0He always blows me away.” \u00c2\u00a0— Billy Childs<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(Los Angelino, frequently commissioned composer-pianist and 2009 Guggenheim fellow)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

“Hank has
\nretained his sharp wit, joyful approach to living and wonderful playing and has
\nlaughed at the myth of ‘old age.’ He’s are pure inspiration.” — Chick Corea\u00c2\u00a0<\/a>(this summer touring Europe performing solo concerts, one piano duet program with <\/span>Stefano Bollani and some engagements with <\/span>Gary Burton; Corea, bassist<\/span> Stanley Clarke and drummer <\/span>Lenny White play the Hollywood Bowl September 2 and the Detroit International Jazz Festival September 4, then 16 more dates until October 1).<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

The greatness of Hank
\nJones is unmistakable. \u00c2\u00a0His rhythmic poise and the warmth of his sound are
\nthe first things you notice. \u00c2\u00a0Then you begin to hear the wisdom of every
\nchoice he makes.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Improvisers are
\nvirtuoso “deciders”; they make decisions in real time and act on them
\nin the same moment, uniting thought and action. \u00c2\u00a0Every single sound that
\nan improvisor makes is the result of a real-time decision. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

A lifetime of
\ndeciding etches intricate canyons of structure into the neural pathways
\nconnecting the brain to the body’s sonorous actions. \u00c2\u00a0To hear Hank Jones
\ntoday is to hear impossible levels of detail, decades of personal history,
\nembodied in every gesture, every nuance, every sound.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

This quality, the “late style” of an improviser, is abundantly audible in the playing of Mr. Jones. He is a performer whose musical decisions, having resounded for the bettter part of a century, are now blessed with a crystalline quality, a hard-won and very real luminosity, poise, composure, convictions. At this point, everything he does is magical.” — Vijay Iyer<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(adapted from his 2008 program notes to the Bretano Quartet Carnegie Hall concerts, “Concerning Late Style in Composer and Improvisers”; Iyer performs with his trio this weekend at the Newport Jazz Festival, August 30 in the Jazz Festival Saalfelden (Switzerland), and September 20 at the Monterey Jazz Festival)\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

“No other living
\npianist can do what he does. His touch and how he anchors everything with his
\nleft hand is of course a testament to the ragtime and stride generations. But
\nhe’s one of the few – and perhaps the best example – who bridged that with how
\npianists play today. I think he’s the most perfectly balanced pianist I have
\nseen, in every way: touch, feel, swing, sensitivity, accompaniment, facility,
\nheart, mind and soul. It’s pure beauty. And one can feel his sincerity and
\ndevotion to music in every note.” – Jason
\nLindner<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/b>(he performs at the Regatta Bar in Boston with vocalist Claudia Acuna<\/span> August 7, and at the Newport Jazz Festival August 8)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“God bless Hank, he’s
\nsomething else. He’s just great to know. I first met him when I was in Mel
\nLewi<\/span>s’s band, in 1980 -’91, since he sat in on occasion. Then when I toured
\nwith Elvin’s Jazz Machine<\/span> with in ’87, Europe being so exciting to me and
\nme being so excited about Elvin, I remember rapping with Hank about it all back
\nthen.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

“In Moscow, Idaho at
\nthe Lionel Hampton<\/span> festivals in ’94 and ’95 I sat with Hank in small groups; he
\nand Elvin were sort of the house rhythm section, as I remember playing with Roy
\nHargrove, Benny Golson, Brian Bromberg<\/span> and Christian<\/span> McBride<\/span> and others. Then I
\nthink it was 1998 when Hank called me to guest with his trio in Birdland. That
\nwas a thrill, to have him call me. And we started recording, at first a ballad,
\ntwo or three other songs, and it became like a dream, all of a sudden we had a
\nrelationship, it wasn’t like we were just hooking up to cut a couple of pieces.
\nWe did ‘I’m All For You,’ based on ‘Body and Soul,’ and from that point on we
\nplayed a lot.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

“I played on Hank’s 90th
\nbirthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl last summer, and we did a duet tour
\nin San Sebastian this July. He has the best feeling and touch; he’s one of the
\nmost distinctive voices in modern jazz, and captures you from the first moment
\nyou hear him. He’s copied and valued by everyone when you’re playing with him
\nin an ensemble. He has an uncanny way of following and leading with equal
\nbalance. It’s egoless in appearance, but the way he swings and accompanies you
\nwith dynamics is like no one else. His clarity and focus are amazing, he always
\ncomes up with new voicings, he doesn’t repeat himself, he’s always moving
\nforward — he has a very free approach within the music he loves to play. He’s
\ninto detail, the way he puts things together, but he’s also loose and open to
\nthe flow of the moment. He’s totally modern in his approach, and timeless. He’s
\ninfluenced me enormously, with his sense of phrasing and space. He takes me
\nplaces. We move together in beautiful unique dialog. — Joe Lovano<\/span><\/a> (Hank Jones is featured with Lovano’s quartet at the Monterey Jazz Festival September 20; they recorded a sweet record together, Kids: Duets Live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola<\/a>)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n


\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“Having just turned 60
\nyesterday, I can still say that when I grow up, I want to be Hank Jones. I’ve just arrived in Holland, to conduct his concert in The Hague.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

“Hank Jones has been an inspiration in many ways. He possesses an
\nimpeccable pianistic touch; a wonderful harmonic sense, and I’ve always felt
\nthat Hank means every single note — there’s never a wasted note in his lines.
\nThey’re perfect gems.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

“In another way, he’s been
\nan influence because of his position as the first pianist for the Thad
\nJones\/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra<\/span> (for which I was the last pianist). \u00c2\u00a0When I
\njoined the band in 1978 I modeled my playing on Hank and his successor, Roland
\nHanna<\/span>. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

And personally:
\n\u00c2\u00a0suffice it to say that the way Hank Jones \u00c2\u00a0plays, looks, and lives at the
\nage of 90 inspires all of us, and gives us hope!”\u00c2\u00a0Thanks for asking!\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0—
\nJim McNeely<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(currently artist-in-residence with the HR (Hessischer Rundfunk) Big Band in Frankfurt, Germany; hear his Grammy-nominated album\u00c2\u00a0<\/a>Lickety Split: The Vanguard jazz Orchestra Plays the Music of Jim McNeely<\/a><\/span>)<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

“Hank Jones –
\na perfect blend of soul and class.” \u00c2\u00a0— Eric Scott Reed\u00c2\u00a0<\/a>heard throughout August at the Pasadena Playhouse<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n


\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“His
\nrich harmonic language, beautiful time, nuanced touch, witty lines and
\never-present impeccable taste make Hank Jones one of the most unique and
\nimportant pianists in the history of jazz. As it is with a great painting or
\nbook, every time I listen to a Hank Jones recording, even one I’ve heard many
\ntimes, I discover something new to learn and appreciate. — Renee Rosnes<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(playing with<\/span> Bobby Hutcherson‘s quartet at the Blue Note in Tokyo Aug. 4 – 10, leading her own quartet at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC Sept 8 – 13)<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“Despite
\nhis seniority and extraordinary accomplishments, Hank Jones continues to push his
\ncreative potential. \u00c2\u00a0Hank never stops trying out new ideas. This youthful
\nvigor combined with his immaculate taste, touch, sensitivity, and harmonic
\ningenuity make Hank Jones one of my musical heroes. Plus, he’s one of the
\nnicest guys in the business!\u00c2\u00a0It’s so wonderful to have Hank on the scene
\ninspiring all of us younger guys and I’m honored to have Hank consider me one
\nof his ‘students.'” — Michael Weiss<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(pianist with the <\/span>Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, every Monday night at the Village Vanguard and at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival September 6; leading his own trio at Princeton’s Jazz Nights, September 26, and featured with <\/span>Jimmy Heath’s quartet in October)<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Here’s Hank himself, accepting the “Pianist of the Year” award at the Jazz Journalists Association’s Jazz Awards on June 16 –\u00c2\u00a0
\n<\/object>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

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