Live at Slukefter Vol.2 Hank Jones

• 1 Recorda Me / Aka No Me Esquieca 06:58
• 2 Arrival 07:08
• 3 Emily 07:34
• 4 All the Things You Are 08:50
• 5 Yours Is My Heart Alone / Aka You Are My Heart’s Delight 06:30
• 6 Ruby My Dear 07:43
• 7 The Bruise 05:09
• 8 Interlude 08:07
• 9 Moose the Mooche 03:41
• Total Runtime 01:01:40

Info for Live at Slukefter Vol.2

Hank Jones was a consummate musician. As is so often the case, that description carries the implication that such a person is unflamboyant, somewhat reserved, and that their artistry is more appreciated by fellow workers than by the public. A Musicians musician.

Storyville now releases Hank Jones Live at Slukefter vol. 2 – the follow up to 2019’s vol. 1. Whereas vol. 1 was recorded at the legendary Copenhagen Jazz Club Slukefter on June 6th 1983, this recording is from the day after, June 7th. As on vol. 1 Jones is joined by Mads Vinding who worked with the Jones on several other visits to Europe, and recorded with him on at least one other occasion when in 1991 Jones was an invited guest to the JazzPar concerts (Hank Jones Trio, Storyville 1018416) and Shelly Manne, a close contemporary of Hank’s who was also associated with studio work in Los Angeles, even making a cameo appearance as a studio musician in the movie The Man With The Golden Arm.

The chosen songs on these recordings are very diverse, and support image of Jones as a musician with a huge knowledge of songs, both from within the Jazz world as well as contemporary pop music. The waltz ‘Emily’ was from the 1964 movie The Americanization Of Emily, one of the early successes in film scoring by former jazz musician Johnny Mandel. Jerome Kern’s ‘All The Things You Are’ was one of the few saving graces of a Broadway musical comedy that ran for only seven weeks in 1939, but was picked up by singers and instrumentalists immediately afterwards. ‘Yours Is My Heart Alone’, on the other hand, goes back even further to a 1929 operetta written by the composer Franz Lehár, who was Austro-Hungarian – hence its two slight different English-language titles – which was not adopted by jazz players until the late 1950s. Keen-eared listeners may also note, in Jones’s solo on the opening track, lightning-quick quotations from Chopin’s ‘Poloniase Militaire’ and the 1930s song ‘If I Should Lose You’, among many other allusions during this programme.

Hank Jones (1918-2010) was born in Mississippi and was an early inspiration for his two younger brothers, both of whom would become all-time greats: cornetist Thad Jones and drummer Elvin Jones. He immediately became part of the jazz major leagues once he relocated to New York where he embraced the bebop of Bud Powell without abandoning his roots in swing. Tasteful and lightly swinging, Hank Jones would always be thought of as a class act. His non-stop activity with countless bands, orchestras and musicians only ended when an ageless Hank Jones passed away in 2010. Musically, he never declined.

The result of the 1983 Slukefter session Vol. 2 is an enjoyable hour of music that, after sitting unheard for over 30 years, sounds as fresh as if it were recorded yesterday

Hank Jones, piano
Mads Vinding, bass
Shelly Manne, drums

Hank Jones a member of the famous jazz family that includes brothers cornetist Thad and drummer Elvin, served as a pianist in a vast array of settings, always lending a distinctive, swinging sensibility to the sessions. Although born in Mississippi, Jones grew up in Pontiac, Michigan, listening to such performers as Earl Hines, Fats Waller, and Art Tatum. A performer by the time he was 13, Jones played with territory bands that toured Michigan and Ohio. In one such band he met saxophonist Lucky Thompson, who got him a job in the Hot Lips Page band in 1944, prompting Jones' move to New York.
Once in New York, Jones became exposed to bebop, embracing the style in his playing and even recording with Charlie Parker. Meanwhile, he took jobs with such bandleaders as John Kirby, Coleman Hawkins, Andy Kirk, Billy Eckstine, and Howard McGhee. He toured with Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic from 1947-51. As a result, he became Ella Fitzgerald's pianist, touring with her from 1948-53. These experiences served to broaden his musical palette and sophistication.
A consummate freelancer, Jones found work with artists such as Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Milt Jackson, and Cannonball Adderley. The versatility Jones acquired through such affiliations served him well when he joined the staff of CBS as a studio musician, remaining for 17 years. Although his studio work found him working on productions like the Ed Sullivan Show, Jones continued his touring and recording experiences in a variety of settings. His broad range and ability to fit in different settings also landed him in Broadway stage bands, where he served as pianist and conductor for such shows as Ain't Misbehavin'.
Jones was the first regular pianist in brother Thad's co-led orchestra with Mel Lewis, beginning in 1966. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Jones continued to be much in demand for record dates and tours. Among his affiliations was the Great Jazz Trio, a cooperative unit with Ron Carter and Tony Williams, who were later supplanted by Buster Williams and Ben Riley. Jones has also experienced his share of piano duos, with the likes of Tommy Flanagan -- with whom he became acquainted when both were developing around the Detroit area -- George Shearing, and John Lewis.
In 2008, Jones received the National Medal of Arts and the following year the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. As a leader and valued sideman, Jones can be found on thousands of recordings.

This album contains no booklet.