RIP Hank Jones.

[1KielsonDrive]

A gentleman, a truly great musician and a cultural icon - - - Hank Jones. RIP. I was lucky enough to sit in on his interview last summer at the Detroit Jazz Fest, not suspecting it would be the last time I saw or heard him. We've lost a last link to the greatest generation of jazz and the last of the 'Jones Boys'. I'm greatly saddened.

[EastsideAl]

The last of the great Jones brothers of Pontiac. My parents knew his late brothers Thad and Elvin a bit, and I was fortunate to get to see Hank play several times over the past few years. The last time I saw him was on my birthday trip to NYC just last year, and he played wonderfully during an extended set that saw a number of jazz stars like Wynton Marsalis coming by to sit in. I was also lucky to get to speak to him on a couple of occasions, and like everyone else found him to be a deeply intelligent, interesting, and gently humorous man who was, above all else, a gentleman in the best sense of the term.

Mark Stryker had a nice piece about him in the Free Press, with a wonderful video attached:
http://www.freep.com/article/2010051...ank-Jones-dies

[1KielsonDrive]

Let's see if this photo will post.

[1KielsonDrive]

Apparently not. I have a nice photo of Hank Jones sitting at his piano. I must've scanned it wrong. Sorry.

[Bobl]

Here is a photo that I stole from: idigjazz.blogspot.com/

[1KielsonDrive]

Here is a photo that I stole from: idigjazz.blogspot.com/

Thanks Bob. That's a really nice photo.

[EastsideAl]

A couple of fine videos of the late Hank Jones.

Here he is at Carnegie Hall playing a truly lovely version of "Willow Weep for Me":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUWZzj0TU1s

And here Hank tells some stories of his early life in music, explains bebop to you, and plays beautifully too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqbid4dYmwA

[ronaldj]

Skip: as Mose Allison sang "The Earth WantsYou". Sue and I are planning on cremation. RIP to our brother from Pontiac.

[Jimg]

Some of Hank's interview from the 2009 Jazzfest will be posted on the DJF website in June.
Hank didn't spend much time in Detroit, but he did have a few gigs in the early 40s. He went to NY around 1944 where he joined Lips Page's excellent combo.
We managed to dig up a photo from one of Hank's Det gigs which he'd never before seen - it was taken at a club in 1943.

[Bobl]

Jim, you should be the official DYES jazz historian. Post more often!