Jones, Hank, 1918-2010
Enlarge text Shrink text-
Personality
- New Grove dict. of jazz(Jones, Hank (Henry); b. July 31, 1918, Vicksburg, MS; pianist)
- New York times WWW site, May 18, 2010(in obituary published May 17: Hank Jones; b. Henry W. Jones, Jr., July 31, 1918, Vicksburg, Miss.; d. Sunday [May 16, 2010], the Bronx, aged 91; his self-effacing nature belied his stature as one of the most respected jazz pianists of the postwar era)
Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored him with the NEA Jazz Masters Award. He was also honored in 2003 with the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Jazz Living Legend Award. In 2008, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. On April 13, 2009, the University of Hartford presented Jones with an honorary Doctorate of Music for his musical accomplishments. Jones recorded more than 60 albums under his own name, and countless others as a sideman, including Cannonball Adderley's celebrated album Somethin' Else. On May 19, 1962, he played piano as actress Marilyn Monroe sang her famous "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" song to then U.S. president John F. Kennedy.
Read more on Wikipedia >