Hank Jones, 1918–2010
The jazz great who was a ‘pianist’s pianist’
Hank Jones was the eldest of three Jones brothers to make their mark on the jazz world. But unlike cornetist Thad and drummer Elvin, Hank didn’t seek out the spotlight, mostly toiling in anonymity for CBS’ music department while his brothers won fame as bandleaders and sidemen. But his self-effacing manner belied his stature as one of the greatest jazz pianists of the postwar era.
The eldest son among seven siblings, Jones grew up near Detroit, where his father, a Baptist church deacon, played blues guitar. His mother introduced him to the sounds of such early jazz giants as Fats Waller and Earl Hines. Known for his light touch and his embrace of bebop’s complex phrasing, Jones was considered a “pianist’s pianist,” said Washington City Paper. He did “a lot of little things on the keyboard,” said fellow pianist Billy Taylor, “that you really have to be a pianist to appreciate.”
Jones didn’t take immediately to the piano, said Jazz Times. “I had classical lessons at first,” he said in a 2009 interview, “but I wasn’t much for practicing.” But by the time he reached his teens, he was playing professionally in big bands that toured the Midwest. He moved to New York City in 1944 and was soon backing such luminaries as Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, and Miles Davis. “People heard me and said, ‘Well, this is not just a boy from the country—maybe he knows a few chords.’”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In 1959, he opted for a measure of financial security as the top pianist in CBS’ in-house music department. “More often than not, he was heard but not seen on The Ed Sullivan Show and other television and radio programs,” said The New York Times. After the department disbanded, Jones began to achieve more public renown, forming the Great Jazz Trio in 1976 with drummer Tony Williams and bassist Ron Carter. By the early 1980s, Jones’ “late-blooming career as a leader was in full swing,” and he recorded well-received albums with bassist Charlie Haden, singer Roberta Gambarini, and musicians from Mali.
Jones was named a National Endowment for the Arts jazz master in 1989. He received the National Medal of Arts in 2008 and last year was awarded a lifetime achievement Grammy Award.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The best films and documentaries about space exploration
The Week Recommends The cosmos infiltrates Planet Earth's cinemas
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
If comedy gives lessons, you're doing it wrong
Opinion Jerry Seinfeld wonders if his show would have made it in our moralistic era
By Mark Gimein Published
-
6 unique homes with an A-frame design
Feature Featuring a smart home in Vermont and a wall of windows in Wisconsin
By The Week Staff Published
-
Benjamin Zephaniah: trailblazing writer who 'took poetry everywhere'
Why Everyone's Talking About Remembering the 'radical' wordsmith's 'wit and sense of mischief'
By The Week UK Published
-
Shane MacGowan: the unruly former punk with a literary soul
Why Everyone's Talking About The Pogues frontman died aged 65
By The Week UK Published
-
'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud dies at 25
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Legendary jazz and pop singer Tony Bennett dies at 96
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
Martin Amis: literary wunderkind who ‘blazed like a rocket’
feature Famed author, essayist and screenwriter died this week aged 73
By The Week Staff Published
-
Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian folk legend, is dead at 84
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Barry Humphries obituary: cerebral satirist who created Dame Edna Everage
feature Actor and comedian was best known as the monstrous Melbourne housewife and Sir Les Patterson
By The Week Staff Published
-
Mary Quant obituary: pioneering designer who created the 1960s look
feature One of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century remembered as the mother of the miniskirt
By The Week Staff Published