Great Jazz Trio - Hank Jones

Category: Music

The Great Jazz Trio has been around since the mid 70's with various players making up the bass and drums. But always with the great Hank Jones on Piano.

Just got this as a birthday gift and it is titled "S'Wonderful" recorded in 2005. This is a superb outing by Hank Jones he was 85 at the time and was as sharp and fluid as ever. With him is bassist John Patitucci and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

Here the group goes after some standard jazz tunes such as S'Wonderful, Sweet Lorraine and Moanin, all of them in the great Great Jazz Trio tradition. But then they step outside their comfort zone and take on Dave Brubecks/Paul Desmond Take Five. All of us know Take Five by now and very few have ever recorded this other than the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Not to be outdone Hank Jones and the guys dive head long into Take Five with all the risk and daring one can imgaine due to its time signature. Over the years I have heard other groups take on this challenge, but this is the first one that can stand along side of the original and from a trio not a quartet. You have just got to hear this edition of Take Five it will forever mesmerize you and incredible and precise experience.

Of course what jazz group has not tackled the venerable Greensleeves? It is as almost an obligatory indulgence to take a whack at this centuries old tune. However we are talking Hank Jones and The Great Jazz Trio here. While I have heard Greensleeves more times than I can remember, I have never heard it like this. To me this is the way to play Greensleeves in a jazz context. Once again they pull off a near impossible task, to bring this classic into the modern fold.

Perhaps Hank Jones never became a household name in the world of jazz and overshadowed by the likes of Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck and some others. But Hank Jones was clearly their peer and throughout his decades long career remained faithful to the jazz art form and was always ready for a challenge and this CD late in his career proves that point very well.

Always the consumate gentleman and was accessible to his fans, with always a kind word.

I have many Hank Jones as well as The Great Jazz Trio recordings, now I have this and is in my permanent rotation forever.

If jazz trio is your bag, then you have to have this one.