For close to three hours on June 29, 2006 the impeccable Hank Jones regaled the 100+ attendees of Harlem Speaks with tale after tale of his illustrious career as one of the most beloved and respected pianists in the history of jazz.

Interviewed by museum co-directors Loren Schoenberg and Christian McBride, Jones not only told all present about his early years as the eldest son of the famed Jones jazz family, but led a virtual pun-fest!

His mom (an amateur pianist) and his father (a guitarist) were his earliest musical influences. His mother’s blues records and his father’s gospel recordings laid a foundation for his early interest in music. They had a player piano also, and “I thought there was a little man in there,” he said with laughter. His first piano teacher taught him stride piano.

His first professional gig came at the age of 13. He was paid 30 cents! He played all over Michigan thereafter, and his career prospects improved greatly after he gigged in Buffalo, New York after graduating from Pontiac High School. He met bassist Ray Brown while there.

He came to New York City, staying at the Harlem YMCA, to play with Hot Lips Page. He gave assessments of his thoughts on many of the other legendary pianists of jazz as well as comments on his times playing with Coleman Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Jazz at the Philharmonic, Ben Webster, and many, many others.

Previous Harlem Speaks guest Joe Wilder, and long-time friend Jimmy Heath also joined Jones on stage to ask questions and recall their own experiences with the master.

He described the art of accompaniment to a tee, explaining how it’s imperative to play appropriately for each artist. Ella, for instance, liked block chords “in the breaks in the phrases,” whereas Sarah liked single line fills.

“Diversity is one of the keynotes of jazz,” he said, and his playing and speaking style bespoke the same. His wit and humor, warmth and soul, dignity and great memory all combined to make one of the greatest nights ever for the Jazz Museum in Harlem’s Harlem Speaks program.