17 May 2010

Hank Jones 1918-2010

Reaching for superlatives, critics often wrote that Mr. Jones had an exceptional touch. He himself was not so sure.

"I never tried consciously to develop a 'touch,'" he told the Detroit Free Press in 1997. "What I tried to do was make whatever lines I played flow evenly and fully and as smoothly as possible.

"I think the way you practice has a lot to do with it," he explained. "If you practice scales religiously and practice each note firmly with equal strength, certainly you'll develop a certain smoothness. I used to practice a lot. I still do when I'm at home." Mr. Jones was 78 years old at the time.

From NYT

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