Hank Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hank Jones
Hank Jones at Monterey Jazz Festival, September 22, 1985
Background information
Birth name	Henry Jones
Born	(1918-07-31)July 31, 1918 Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	May 16, 2010(2010-05-16) (aged 91) The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1944–2010
Labels	Verve, Savoy, Epic, Capitol, Argo, Impulse, Concord, Chesky, Sony
Associated acts	Ella Fitzgerald, Emily Remler, Charlie Haden, Nancy Wilson, Charlie Parker, Salena Jones, Roberta Gambarini

Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Many people, including music critics and other musicians, described his playing as elegant and perfect.

Hank Jones received many important awards. In 1989, he was honored with the NEA Jazz Masters Award. This award celebrates top jazz musicians. In 2003, he won the ASCAP Jazz Living Legend Award. He also received the National Medal of Arts in 2008. This is one of the highest honors for artists in the United States. On April 13, 2009, the University of Hartford gave him an honorary Doctorate of Music for his amazing musical achievements.

Jones recorded over 60 albums where he was the main artist. He also played piano on countless other albums for famous musicians. One well-known album he played on was Cannonball Adderley's Somethin' Else. A very famous moment in his career happened on May 19, 1962. He played the piano while actress Marilyn Monroe sang her famous "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" song to then-U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Henry "Hank" Jones was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi. His family later moved to Pontiac, Michigan. His father, Henry Jones Sr., was a Baptist deacon and a lumber inspector.

Hank was one of seven children and grew up in a very musical family. His mother, Olivia Jones, loved to sing. His two older sisters studied piano. His two younger brothers also became famous jazz musicians. Thad Jones was a trumpeter, and Elvin Jones was a drummer.

Hank started playing piano at a young age. He was inspired by famous pianists like Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, and Art Tatum. By the time he was 13, Jones was already performing locally. He played in towns across Michigan and Ohio.

Starting a Career in New York City

In 1944, while playing with local bands, Jones met Lucky Thompson. Thompson invited him to come to New York City. There, Jones began working at the Onyx Club with Hot Lips Page.

In New York City, Jones often listened to leading bebop musicians. Bebop was a new, fast-paced style of jazz. He was inspired to learn and master this exciting new sound. While practicing and studying, he worked with many great artists. These included John Kirby, Howard McGhee, Coleman Hawkins, Andy Kirk, and Billy Eckstine.

In late 1947, Jones started touring with Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic group. From 1948 to 1953, he was the main accompanist for the legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald. He even toured with her in England in 1948. During this time, he developed a very refined and tasteful way of playing harmonies. He also made important recordings with Charlie Parker. One of these was "The Song Is You" from the Now's the Time album.

Working with Famous Artists and CBS

After working with Ella Fitzgerald, Hank Jones played with other big names. He performed with Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman. He also recorded with artists like Lester Young, Cannonball Adderley, and Wes Montgomery. For a while, he was also the "house pianist" for the Savoy record label. This meant he played on many of their recordings.

From 1959 to 1975, Jones worked as a staff pianist for CBS studios. This job involved backing up famous guests on TV shows. For example, he played for Frank Sinatra on The Ed Sullivan Show. As mentioned earlier, he famously played the piano for Marilyn Monroe. This was when she sang "Happy Birthday Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy on May 19, 1962.

By the late 1970s, Jones was involved with the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin'. This show was based on the music of Fats Waller. His work on this musical helped more people discover his special musical talents.

Later Career and Collaborations

Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Jones continued to record a lot of music. He recorded as a solo pianist and in duos with other pianists. These included John Lewis and Tommy Flanagan. He also played with various small groups. The most famous of these was the Great Jazz Trio.

The Great Jazz Trio formed in 1976. Jones often played at the Village Vanguard with its original members, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. The trio also recorded with other star musicians like Art Farmer, Benny Golson, and Nancy Wilson.

In the early 1980s, Jones had a regular performance spot at the Cafe Ziegfeld. He also toured Japan, where he performed and recorded with George Duvivier and Sonny Stitt. As time went on, Jones showed how versatile he was. He collaborated on Afro-pop recordings with a group from Mali. He also made an album of spirituals, hymns, and folk songs with Charlie Haden called Steal Away (1995).

Some of his later recordings include For My Father (2005). On this album, he played with bassist George Mraz and drummer Dennis Mackrel. He also released a solo piano recording in Japan called Round Midnight (2006). He played as a sideman on Joe Lovano's Joyous Encounter (2005). Jones also appeared on West of 5th (2006) with Jimmy Cobb and Christian McBride. He even accompanied Diana Krall on "Dream a Little Dream of Me" for the album We all Love Ella (2007).

In the early 2000s, the Hank Jones Quartet played with jazz singer Salena Jones. They performed at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Idaho in 2000. In 2006, they played at the Monterey Jazz Festival with jazz singer Roberta Gambarini and the Oscar Peterson Trio.

In June 2005, Jones received another Honorary Doctorate of Music. This was from Berklee College of Music at the 20th anniversary of jazz education. The event took place at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy.

Hank Jones lived in Cresskill, NJ, upstate New York, and Manhattan. He passed away at a hospice in The Bronx, New York, on May 16, 2010. His wife, Theodosia, survived him.

Awards and Recognitions

Hank Jones received many important awards during his career.

Grammy History

• Career Wins: 2009: Lifetime Achievement Grammy
• Career Nominations: 5

Discography

See also

In Spanish: Hank Jones para niños