Legendary jazz pianist Hank Jones dies at 91

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Hank Jones, legendary Jaze pianist and composer, who had played piano for Marilyn Monroe when she sang "Happy Birthday" to U.S. President Kennedy, died Sunday in a New York hospital at age 91, according to media reports.

Jones, who was the eldest of the three Jones boys of Pontiac, performed his blend of swing and bebop until the end of his life after a brief illness.

Born into a family of jazz musicians, Jones had a 70-year career with hundreds of recordings. He played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Wes Montgomery, Nancy Wilson, Lester Young, Charlie Parker and Coltrane.

Jones won a Grammy lifetime achievement award last year, and he received the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush in 2008.

Throughout his career, Jones was respected by his fellow musicians for his elegant touch, melodic sensitivity and stylistic versatility.

"He was the consummate accompanist and played with a very free flowing approach ... His sound, his touch, his ideas were all about feeling," Saxophonist Joe Lovano said.

"His style is as profound and defined as any of the major masters," jazz pianist Bill Charlap told the Detroit Free Press in 2006. "It's equal to Teddy Wilson, equal to Bill Evans, equal to Thelonious Monk, equal to Tommy Flanagan. It's as much a unique musical utterance and just as balanced in terms of intellectualism and feeling. With Hank Jones you hear the past, present and the future of jazz piano."

Jones' most recent recordings were "Pleased to Meet You," an album with pianist Oliver Jones and "Come Sunday," an as-yet unreleased duet recording with bassist Charlie Haden, a sequel to their 1995 album of spirituals, hymns and folk songs, "Steal Away," which received two Grammy nominations.

"Hank was a man of elegance and genius yet remained so modest and full of humor throughout his life," said Haden, who recorded "Come Sunday" with Jones in February. At that session, Haden said, "Hank seemed ... closer than ever to the reverence of the songs that we played. ... He was — and will always be — a beautiful soul."

(Agencies)

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