Pianist Hank Jones teams up with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jimmie Smith for this trio set which has been reissued on CD. An unusual aspect to the music is that on half of the eight standards Jones switches to electric piano; although he does not display as strong a musical personality on that instrument, he plays quite well. Highlights of the boppish set include "My Ship," "Rockin' in Rhythm," "Bag's Groove" and an effective instrumental version of "Your Feet's Too Big."

Hank Jones is marvelous in this 1978 trio date with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Alan Dawson, one of several dates they made together for Black & Blue in the latter part of the decade. It's hard to imagine any of these three superb musicians being in anything other than top form, and they do not disappoint. Jones' delightful tradeoffs with Dawson (on brushes) are the highlight of "A Foggy Day." The leader swings mightily in the oldie by Franz Lehár, "Yours Is My Heart Alone." The pop song "Come to Me" is successfully recast as a samba. "Alan's Allies" is a virtual master class for aspiring jazz drummers. The often low-key Duvivier provides terrific support without result to gimmickry. Like many of the reissues by the label during the late '90s, bonus tracks consisting of alternate takes of several numbers have been added.

Despite a frequent change of supporting players, pianist Hank Jones always produces rewarding sessions when he leads the Great Jazz Trio in a studio date. On the 1978 Great Jazz Trio Direct From L.A. disc made for the Japanese label East Wind, premier sidemen Ron Carter and Tony Williams are on hand. Right away Jones signals that he is in a playful mood, using Tchaikovsky's "Arabian Dance" (from The Nutcracker) to introduce and close a cooking rendition of "A Night in Tunisia." The treatment of "'Round About Midnight" is more straightforward, though Jones' style adds an elegant touch. His off-kilter introduction to the well-traveled "Satin Doll" keeps the song fresh. He transforms "My Funny Valentine" into a brisk loping waltz, with Carter and Williams providing imaginative support. If there's a bone to pick with this well-recorded CD, it is the miserly length of just 29 minutes.

On Nov 24th, 1980, Dizzy Gillespie invited 5 jazz legends - Milt Jackson, James Moody, Hank Jones, Ray Brown & Philly Joe Jones - to join him onstage in Montreal to play tribute to the legendary Charlie Parker. A limited quantity bootleg LP of the concert soon appeared and then disappeared from the marketplace and the tapes lay dormant for over 30 years. The pristinely restored “Concert of the Century” is now available on audiophile 180 gram 2LP vinyl and CD via the Justin Time Essentials Collection.

Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and pianist Hank Jones make for a perfect combination on this set of live duets. They had played together on an occasional basis for the two years prior to this project, collaborating on the Joyous Encounter recording. Jones has a timeless style that since 1944 has been a transitional approach between swing and bop. His two-handed playing makes it possible for him to be an entire rhythm section by himself, so one does not miss the bass and drums. Lovano, one of the most versatile of all saxophonists, fits easily into this format, coming across as a major modern swing stylist, paying respect to the melodies while also adding his own individual sound to the music…

The 1977 edition of what Japanese producers billed "The Great Jazz Trio" features pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams performing pretty modern material. There is one original apiece from each of the musicians on this out-of-print LP, along with "Freedom Jazz Dance," "Mr. P.C.," "All Blues" and "A Child Is Born." Jones, a very flexible pianist able to excel in settings ranging from Fats Waller tributes to post-bop, keeps up with his younger sidemen and comes up with consistently fresh statements full of subtle surprises.

This must surely be one of the most unusual items in Hank Jones' catalog. Few people would probably associate Jones - one of the finest pianists that jazz has ever known, and a man who has played with everyone from Charlie Parker to Tony Williams - with contemporary Afro-pop; yet this album is an infectiously grooving example of just that, featuring the remarkably versatile pianist alongside a stellar cast of musicians from the West African nation of Mali. At first glance, the Malian pop music that is featured on this cross-cultural outing would seem to be light-years from the kind of harmonically sophisticated jazz that Jones has played throughout most of his long and distinguished career…

Long regarded as one of the jazz worlds most unsung heroes, Hank Jones tasty fireworks and subtle improvisation finally started getting the recognition they deserved in the mid-Fifties. In fact, from 1953 practically every album released by Savoy in that era included Hank Jones on piano. Less than two years later he joined forces with the dependable bassist Wendell Marshall and the always-swinging drummer Kenny Clarke and found hisideal trio. As he put it, a good rhythm section must have the ability to think together as a unit, to all have the same type of drive. After they had worked as a unit on several recording dates for Savoy, most of the critics and jazz fans acclaimed The Trio (as they were called) as the most outstanding rhythm section of their time.

Piano duets have the potential danger of getting overcrowded and a bit incoherent, but neither happens on this rather delightful set. Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan, two of the four great jazz pianists (along with Barry Harris and Roland Hanna) to emerge from Detroit in the '40s and '50s, have similar styles and their mutual respect is obvious. Their renditions of seven superior bop standards (including "Jordu," "Confirmation" and Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born") are tasteful, consistently swinging and inventive within the tradition.

Favors is a live recording from May 1996 of a Hank Jones recital in Osaka, Japan. Six cuts feature the trio work of pianist Jones, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Dennis Mackrel. The remaining five tracks augment the group with the Osaka College of Music's Winds Jazz Orchestra. Hank Jones' rich musical career has spanned over fifty years; his playing synthesizes important elements of many of the influential pianists in jazz history, from Art Tatum and Erroll Garner to Bud Powell and Bill Evans. Most significantly, Jones has fused these varied sources into a wholly personal style characterized by an almost orchestral approach to arrangement and harmony, a silvery touch, and masterful attention to detail…

The last recording of Hank Jones!
It is only fitting that jazz giant Hank Jones' last recording was made in Japan. The Japanese people loved him and he loved them back. He toured Japan numerous times and made many recordings for Japanese labels. This recording was made in Tokyo on February 24, less than three months before his passing on May 16, 2010.
Produced by Yasohachi "88" Itoh, who produced and released the first recording of the Great Jazz Trio with Jones, Ron Carter and Tony Williams back in 1975…

Here's Love is an album by American jazz pianist Hank Jones featuring interpretations of music from Meredith Willson's Broadway musical Here's Love recorded in 1963 for the Argo label. The artistry of Milt Hilton on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and Kenny Burrell on guitar, welded cohesively by the remarkable ingenuity of Hank Jones, makes for many minutes of easy listening.