Culturally instrumental

by Neil Thomas
June 1st, 2010

The death, on May 16th 2010, of Hank Jones, who The Times described as the ‘Pianist who became a founder of modern jazz after beginning his career in the swing era’, is a reminder of the incredible cultural contribution America has made in this area.

The impact that musicians of his calibre have had on jazz and music generally is phenomenal. Those who are disdainful of American culture and who cling to mainly European elements of culture, holding ‘classical music’ to be the only badge of true musical culture, are quite simply dodos.

I must declare an interest here: I was lucky enough to sit no more than a few feet away from Hank Jones when he was appearing many years ago in a club called Bradley’s in University Place in New York. (I still can’t quite believe that this club closed down about ten years or so ago).

‘A jazz pianist gifted beyond belief’ is how the Gramophone website tribute describes him. In a style that was his own (even though it owed something to Teddy Wilson and Fats Waller), he played with Artie Shaw, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, amongst others, and influenced all who came after, including Oscar Peterson.

I look forward to Speak the Culture: USA, which is sure to have a beefy jazz section in it!