I never met Mr. Jones, who died May 16 at the age of 91, but in my work as a travel agent, I did have the privilege of speaking with him on the phone exactly once. Some fifteen years ago, bassist Ray Brown asked us to call Hank and arrange for him to fly from his home on a small farm in upstate New York to a city in the Midwest where he and Ray would perform. I made the call.
Some people -- celebrities more than most, perhaps -- are only as considerate as they need to be. Hank Jones didn't need to do more than simply answer a few questions about his flight plans from a lowly travel agent. But by the end of our conversation, he had made me feel like a favorite nephew. At one point, I mentioned that relatives on my mother's side lived on a farm in the same general region of New York State. Hardly an earthshaking announcement, yet Hank seemed genuinely interested and we chatted for a while about the Baseball Hall of Fame and other attractions in the area.
Recently, Hank spent nearly all his time in a 12-by-12-foot room at Broadway and 108th Street, while his wife remained upstate in an assisted-care facility. By all accounts, though, this man who had worked with giants such as Miles Davis and Charlie Parker, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, was content. Hours every day he practiced at an electric piano, listening through headphones for fear that his playing might otherwise disturb the neighbors.
Yeah, that considerate. Rest well, Hank.
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Following the 2001 Big Band Reunion, the BBAA produced a limited-edition compact disc commemorating the concert. The CD was created not to be sold, but was given away to each member who renewed their membership for the coming year and to non-members who joined.
Highlights of the program include performances by Billy May and Gerald Wilson, reminiscences from trumpeter Buddy Childers and the inductions onto the Golden Bandstand of Billy, Gerald, Buddy and jazz DJ Chuck Niles, along with the posthumous induction of clarinetist Willie Schwartz. Emcee Milt Bernhart is in top form, people talk back from the audience ... it's great stuff:
Thinking all copies except those in our archives had been distributed, we were surprised last week to discover a box containing another two dozen of these CDs. Would you like one? Or more than one? Single copies are available at our cost, $10, and there's no extra charge for shipping. If you're interested in multiple discs, we'll knock $5 off the cost of each additional copy: two for $15, three for $20 and so forth.
- To pay by credit card, just e-mail us at bigbandacademy@yahoo.com and let us know how many CDs you'd like. We'll e-mail you a secure PayPal form into which you can enter your credit card information with complete privacy.
- If you'd rather send a check, e-mail us as above and we'll provide you with our mailing address.
Whether you were in attendance that afternoon and wish to relive the memories or want to hear it all for the first time, don't miss this opportunity!
