Laura Dreyer's blog

Yesterday, June 26^th, I attended a memorial service at The Abyssinian Baptist church in Harlem for the legendary pianist Hank Jones, who passed on May 16^th.  Congregating in a far corner, close to the pulpit and to a grand piano, were a select group of elder statesmen and legendary jazz musicians which included Dr. Billy Taylor, Jimmy Heath, Frank Wess, Ron Carter, Frank Foster, Barry Harris, and many others. Some spoke about their early meetings with Hank, many of which occurred on 52^nd St. in the mid 1940s, and a favorite bar on 6^th Ave. called The White Rose, (nicknamed “The White Nose” by some) where apparently all of the major players on the scene would hang out, drink, and share tips. Some were so visibly moved by the passing of Mr. Jones, they could barely speak.  The musical performances were beautiful, and several videos were shown of montages depicting various photographs and anecdotes, one of which was regarding the famous Marilyn Monroe performance of “Happy Birthday,” sung to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in 1962. Hank, who was her accompanist, recounted that the 16 minute performance required an 8 hour day of rehearsal which was, in his words, “Very trying.”Read more