05/17/10

Jazz Pianist Hank Jones Dies at 91

Bebop legend was composer, arranger, bandleader and accompanist of note

By Lee Mergner

Pianist Hank Jones died yesterday in New York City. He was 91 years old.

Jones was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 31, 1918. He was raised along with his brothers Thad and Elvin in the Pontiac, Michigan area, where their father was Baptist deacon and lumber inspector. All three brothers went on to prominence as jazz musicians. Hank, the eldest, was the last one to pass on.

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Hank Jones

A more complete obituary to follow soon at jazztimes.com

Jones was interviewed a little over a year ago by Don Heckman for a feature profile in the January/February 2009 issue of JazzTimes.

2 Comments

  • May 20, 2010 at 04:25PM Robby Johnson

    When I told a good friend of Hank's passing he said, "I was just listening to Hank the other night and thinking "He's the only one left'".

  • May 26, 2010 at 03:28PM Kris King

    Even though I knew he was 91, I still thought he was going to live forever. So many other people I spoke to also felt that way. He was killing the piano and having a blast doing it when I saw him at the 2008 Montreal Jazz Festival.

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