John Hicks (pianist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Hicks
Hicks in 2006
Background information
Birth name	John Josephus Hicks Jr.
Born	(1941-12-21)December 21, 1941 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Died	May 10, 2006(2006-05-10) (aged 64) New York City, New York
Genres	Jazz, hard bop, bebop, free jazz, modal jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, arranger, educator
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1958–2006
Associated acts	Jazz Messengers, Woody Herman, Betty Carter, Mingus Dynasty Band, Elise Wood

John Josephus Hicks Jr. (born December 21, 1941 – died May 10, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He led more than 30 of his own music recordings. He also played as a sideman (a supporting musician) on over 300 other recordings.

After playing with blues musicians early in his career, Hicks moved to New York in 1963. He joined Art Blakey's band for two years. Then he played with singer Betty Carter from 1965 to 1967. After that, he joined Woody Herman's big band until 1970. Hicks then explored more experimental jazz styles, known as free jazz. He played with trumpeters Charles Tolliver and Lester Bowie. He rejoined Betty Carter in 1975, which helped him become more well-known. This also helped him start recording his own music. John Hicks continued to play and record a lot in the United States and around the world. His own recordings were mostly influenced by bebop jazz. However, when he played for other musicians, he explored many different styles. He worked for many years with saxophonists Arthur Blythe, David Murray, David "Fathead" Newman, and Pharoah Sanders.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

John Hicks was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 21, 1941. He was the oldest of five children. His family moved often because his father, Rev. John Hicks Sr., worked for the Methodist church. John's mother, Pollie, was his first piano teacher. He started playing the piano when he was six or seven years old in Los Angeles.

He also took organ lessons and sang in choirs. He even tried playing the violin and trombone. Around age 11, John started playing the piano in church. This was after he learned to read music.

His musical skills grew quickly when his family moved to St. Louis. John was 14 at the time and decided to focus on the piano. He went to Sumner High School. There, he played in a band called the Continentals with his schoolmate Lester Bowie. This band played many different kinds of music. Hicks said his musical influences included "Fats Waller to Thelonious Monk to Methodist church hymns." He also learned from local pianists. He was first interested in the blues-based songs of Horace Silver. He also liked popular songs like "I Got Rhythm" because their harmonies were easy to recognize.

John Hicks worked summer jobs in the southern United States with blues musicians Little Milton and Albert King. His time with Little Milton was his first professional music job in 1958. Hicks said that playing with Little Milton helped him play in many different keys. This was because the piano at the venue was so out of tune that he had to change each song's key as they played. He studied music in 1958 at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. There, he shared a room with drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson. He also studied for a short time at the Berklee School of Music in Boston before moving to New York in 1963.

Career in New York

Starting Out in New York (1963–1980)

In New York, John Hicks first played with singer Della Reese. He then performed with Joe Farrell. He also toured with trombonist Al Grey and saxophonist Billy Mitchell. In 1963, he was also part of saxophonist Pharoah Sanders' first band. He appeared on CBC Television playing with singer Jimmy Witherspoon. After playing with Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson, Hicks joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1964. He made his first recording with Blakey in November of that year on the album 'S Make It.

In early 1965, Hicks toured with Blakey to Japan, France, Switzerland, and England. Blakey encouraged his band members, including Hicks, to write songs for the band. Hicks stayed with Blakey for two years. During this time, his playing was compared to that of McCoy Tyner. This was because of the high energy he showed and the musical intervals he used.

Playing with vocalist Betty Carter in the 1970s helped John Hicks become more widely known.

From 1965 to 1967, Hicks worked on and off with singer Betty Carter. She liked slow ballads, which helped him improve his sense of rhythm. He then joined Woody Herman's big band, where he stayed until 1970. He played piano and also wrote arrangements for the band. Hicks also started recording as a sideman with many different band leaders. In the 1960s, these included Booker Ervin, Hank Mobley, and Lee Morgan. He continued this trend for the rest of his career. From 1972 to 1973, Hicks taught jazz history and improvisation at Southern Illinois University. Starting in the 1970s, he also played in more experimental jazz bands. He recorded with Oliver Lake and performed in the Netherlands with Charles Tolliver. He played with Blakey again in 1973.

Hicks made his first recording as a band leader on May 21, 1975, in England. This session led to two albums. One was the trio album Hells Bells, with bassist Clint Houston and drummer Cliff Barbaro. The other was the solo piano album Steadfast. Both were released by Strata-East Records a few years later.

Hicks reunited with Betty Carter in 1975. He played with her in a musical play called Don't Call Me Man that year. After recording with Carter on her album Now It's My Turn in 1976, Hicks returned to her band full-time. This made him more famous and led to his own recording, After the Morning. He also continued to record as a sideman, including with Carter Jefferson (1978) and Chico Freeman (1978–79).

Growing Success (1981–1989)

The album Some Other Time in 1981, with bassist Walter Booker and drummer Idris Muhammad, showed more of Hicks's skills as a composer. It included his most famous song, "Naima's Love Song."

John Hicks led his own groups from the mid-1970s onward. His smaller groups included a quartet with Sonny Fortune, Walter Booker, and Jimmy Cobb. He also had a group that often featured the flutist Elise Wood. Other groups included Gary Bartz, Vincent Herring, trombonist Craig Handy, bassists Curtis Lundy or Ray Drummond, and drummers Idris Muhammad or Victor Lewis. His larger groups (quintets and sextets) included Robin Eubanks and Tolliver (from 1982), Branford Marsalis (1982–84), Hannibal Peterson (from 1983), Wynton Marsalis (1983–84), Craig Harris (1985–86), Eddie Henderson (1985–86, 1988–90), and Freeman (1985–88). He even formed a big band in 1982, which played occasionally after that. He performed in the UK with Freeman's band in 1989.

From 1983, flutist Elise Wood was often a member of his groups. As a duo, they played mostly jazz, but also some classical music. They formed a business together called John Hicks-Elise Wood, Inc. They toured the US, Europe, and Japan in the 1980s.

He also worked as a freelance musician, playing with artists like Arthur Blythe, David Murray, and Pharoah Sanders. In the 1980s, he was a sideman for Richie Cole (1980), Arthur Blythe, David Murray, Hamiet Bluiett, Art Davis, and Pharoah Sanders. He recorded with Ricky Ford (1980, 1982), Alvin Queen (1981), Peter Leitch (1984), Herring (1986), and Bobby Watson (1986, 1988). Around 1989 and into the 1990s, he played with the Mingus Dynasty band. This included performances of the symphony Epitaph. He recorded two albums in Japan in 1988: the trio East Side Blues and the quartet Naima's Love Song, which featured alto saxophonist Bobby Watson. Hicks regularly performed at jazz festivals around the world and continued to play in New York City.

Later Career and Teaching (1990–2006)

Like many jazz musicians in the 1990s, Hicks recorded for several different music labels. He recorded duo sessions with Jay McShann (1992) and Leitch (1994). He also had several trio recordings for Japanese labels. These included the New York Unit with bassist Richard Davis and drummer Tatsuya Nakamura. Another was the New York Rhythm Machine with bassist Marcus McLaurine and drummer Victor Lewis.

After these, he made more trio recordings for other labels. The Keystone Trio, with George Mraz and Muhammad, started recording for the Milestone label in 1995. A longer-lasting band with Dwayne Dolphin on bass and Cecil Brooks III on drums recorded for HighNote Records from 1997. These recordings included his most popular albums, which were tributes to other pianists. These were Something to Live For: A Billy Strayhorn Songbook, Impressions of Mary Lou, and Fatha's Day: An Earl Hines Songbook. There were five such albums in total, all connected to pianist-composers from Pittsburgh. The other two were Nightwind: An Erroll Garner Songbook and Music in the Key of Clark for Sonny Clark. Hicks played on five of David "Fathead" Newman's albums for HighNote. In 2000, he was called the "HighNote house pianist."

He also continued to play as a sideman for Murray, Leitch, Blythe, Freeman, and Roy Hargrove (1989–90, 1995). He also played with Bartz (1990), Lake (1991), Steve Marcus and Valery Ponomarev (both 1993), Nick Brignola, Russell Gunn, and Kevin Mahogany (all 1994). He played with the Mingus Big Band (around 1995), Fortune (1996), and Jimmy Ponder (1997). As a leader, his music in the 1990s often included well-known jazz songs. He performed in the UK with the Mingus Big Band in 1999. He also played on their album Blues and Politics that same year. The pianist recorded a solo piano concert for the "Live at Maybeck Recital Hall" series. He was part of Joe Lovano's quartet in 1998. This led to Hicks joining Lovano's nonet (a nine-piece band) when it started the next year.

Hicks and Elise Wood married in June 2001. He made a rare recording playing the organ (Hammond B3) on saxophonist Arthur Blythe's album Exhale. In the last ten years of Hicks's life, he recorded several albums with Elise Wood. These included Single Petal of a Rose, Trio & Strings, and Beautiful Friendship.

Towards the end of his life, Hicks taught at New York University and The New School in New York. In January 2006, Hicks said about his teaching, "I don't care how advanced my students are, I always start them off with the blues. It all comes from there." In early 2006, Hicks played in a big band again, this time led by Charles Tolliver. In January and February, he toured Israel, mainly playing songs by Thelonious Monk. Hicks's final studio recording was On the Wings of an Eagle in March 2006. His last performance was at St Mark's United Methodist Church in New York City, just a few days before he passed away. He died on May 10, 2006, from internal bleeding. John Hicks is buried at South-View Cemetery in his hometown of Atlanta.

Elise Wood survived him and has led a band that plays his music. Many believe Hicks passed away before he received all the recognition and praise he deserved. A collection of his papers, compositions, and recordings is kept at Duke University.

His Unique Playing Style

Another pianist, George Cables, said that Hicks "was a very strong and energetic player, and a very warm player, very much part of the tradition." Some people thought Hicks's playing was not deep enough. However, The Penguin Guide to Jazz said that this idea "is missing the point. Almost always, he is more concerned to work within the dimensions of a song than to go off into the stratosphere." This means he focused on making the song sound good rather than just showing off.

Hicks had his own special style. It was a mix of "irresistible creativity and responsiveness." His style included swing, hard bop, and experimental jazz. This made him a top choice for many important American modern jazz groups. A reviewer of his 1993 album, Lover Man: A Tribute to Billie Holiday, said that Hicks "mastered the technique of shaping a piano chord so it sounds like the rising and falling of a breath." A few years later, another reviewer noted the "subtle dynamic shadings" of Hicks's left hand. They also mentioned his "reverence for melody and a sense of musical destination that gives form to his improvisations." When he played as an accompanist, Hicks played gently, using carefully chosen chords.

Compositions and Arrangements

His own songs "are wandering and melodic, suggestive and flexible yet memorable." He enjoyed writing arrangements for groups of five or six musicians. Like the best jazz composers, he often wrote parts specifically for certain musicians. In the past, these included talented artists like Bobby Watson and Vincent Herring. More recently, he worked with Javon Jackson and Elise Wood.

Discography

John Hicks recorded many albums both as a leader of his own groups and as a sideman for other musicians. Here are some of his notable recordings:

As a Leader or Co-Leader

• Hells Bells (1975)
• Steadfast (1975)
• After the Morning (1979)
• Some Other Time (1981)
• John Hicks (1982)
• In Concert (1984)
• Sketches of Tokyo (1985) – with David Murray
• Two of a Kind (1986–87) – with Ray Drummond
• East Side Blues (1988)
• Naima's Love Song (1988)
• Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Seven (1990) – solo piano
• Over the Rainbow (1992) – with Pharoah Sanders
• The Missouri Connection (1992) – with Jay McShann
• Something to Live For: A Billy Strayhorn Songbook (1997)
• Nightwind: An Erroll Garner Songbook (1997)
• Impressions of Mary Lou (1998)
• Music in the Key of Clark (2001)
• Fatha's Day: An Earl Hines Songbook (2003)
• On the Wings of an Eagle (2006)

As a Sideman (Selected Albums)

John Hicks played on hundreds of albums as a sideman. Here are a few examples of the many artists he recorded with:

• With Art Blakey: 'S Make It (1964), Soul Finger (1965)
• With Betty Carter: Now It's My Turn (1976), The Audience with Betty Carter (1979)
• With Woody Herman: Light My Fire (1968), Heavy Exposure (1969)
• With Arthur Blythe: Illusions (1980), Exhale (2002)
• With David Murray: Morning Song (1983), Fast Life (1991)
• With Pharoah Sanders: Journey to the One (1979), Rejoice (1981)
• With David "Fathead" Newman: Chillin' (1998), I Remember Brother Ray (2004)
• With Joe Lovano: 52nd Street Themes (1999), Streams of Expression (2005)
• With Mingus Big Band: Blues and Politics (1999)

Images for kids

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  Hicks in 2006

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  Playing with vocalist Betty Carter in the 1970s gave Hicks more exposure.

See also

In Spanish: John Hicks (músico) para niños