Hank Jones: 1918-2010

How fortunate could lovers of jazz piano get that Hank Jones continued to perform beautifully into his 90s? News this week of his passing at 91 still seemed surprising. It was like he was going to go on forever. His technique was so polished by his later years, as jazz writer Gary Giddins once wrote, that it seemed invisible. But rather than consider him the end of the line of pianists that arrived when the swing era morphed into the modern music called bebop, it may be more positive to call him the beginning of the line for the deep bounty of great jazz pianists that are performing today.

For a thoughtful, concise look at Hank Jones' career and music, here's Mark Stryker's obituary from the Detroit Free Press.

Here's an assortment of videos of Hank Jones performing at various stages in his career.

I'll feature the music of Hank Jones on Jazz Night between 8 and 10 PM on Tuesday, May 25 on WYSO 91.3 FM.