Hank Jones

Hank Jones was born on July 31, 1918 in Pontiac, Michigan. He is the eldest of three brothers (the second eldest, Thad Jones, was a well known trumpet player and composer/arranger). He has long been considered a jazz piano legend. When he sometimes appears at Carnegie Hall as a guest performer, he is introduced as "the elegant, jazz piano god." During his career that spans 60 years, the '50s, '60s and '70s found him working primarily in the studio. During the period from 1966 to 1975, he did not release any records under his name. On suggestion of Max Gordon, owner of the Village Vanguard nightclub, Hank left studio work in 1976 to perform at the club in a trio that included Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums). Hank was already in his late 50s and had made a decision to get back into the mainstream of the jazz world. He was eager to start performing publicly again, so it was easy for him to accept the suggestion and invitation. Hank was hoping to be stimulated creatively by the experience of performing with musicians from a different generation (Ron was then 39 and Tony was 31). Tackling that challenge led to the album The Great Jazz Trio (the name penned by Max Gordon) and earned Hank a permanent spot as one of the most popular jazz pianists. Hank described his own philosophy of music as follows: "I want to be an interpreter of great music." Hank explained that as a performer, the songs he plays get deciphered, interpreted, and expressed in his own unique style while still paying respect to the composer. When Hank plays a standard, he plays it with great lyricism. He also stays true to the song.

Ron Carter

Ron Carter was born on May 4, 1937 in Ferndale, Michigan. He first started playing cello at the age of ten but later switched to bass. He moved to New York in the early ‘60s and worked with Randy Weston, Thelonious Monk, Cannonball Adderley and Art Farmer. He later became a member of the second Miles Davis Quintet where he teamed up with Tony Williams. Together they pioneered the open style, freer rhythm section sound. Ron stayed with the group until 1968. Since then, he has appeared steadily and regularly recorded on countless number of albums. Ron Carter is a world class bassist and as a soloist, his originality and expressiveness rivals any great horn player.

Tony Williams

Tony Williams is the youngest of the original trio. He was born on December 12, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois. The son of a saxophonist, he accompanied his father to clubs and started playing drums in his early teens. By the time he was barely 17, he moved to New York City to play with Jackie McLean. Within a few months, he became a member of the second Miles Davis Quintet. In addition to his accomplishments in jazz, Tony was a fan of rock and actively involved himself as a crossover musician, forming his band Lifetime when he was 18. In 1969, Lifetime released an album entitled Emergency that was one of the first and most influential albums in late-‘60s fusion. Sadly, Tony Williams passed away in 1997 of a heart attack after routine gall bladder surgery at the age of 51.

Richard Davis

Richard Davis was born on April 15, 1930 in Chicago. He is a highly versatile and expert bass player who performs everything from traditional jazz to various newer forms of jazz. He has also been active in classical music. After performing with The Eric Dolphy – Booker Little Quintet in 1961, he spent ten years from the mid-’60s to the ‘70s with Thad Jones – Mel Lewis Orchestra. He was the Downbeat Magazine poll winner for popularity from 1968 through 1972. He was also voted Most Promising Artist by the International Critics of Downbeat Magazine each and every year from 1967 through 1974. During the ‘80s, he performed with McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and Sir Roland Hanna. During the ‘90s, he performed and recorded with David Murray and John Hicks. In 1977, he moved to Wisconsin to teach at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. In 1993, he founded the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists, Inc. and he continues to instruct promising young musicians.

Elvin Jones

Elvin Jones was born on September 9, 1927 in Pontiac, Michigan. He was the youngest of the three brothers. He gained fame as a member of the John Coltrane Quartet. The International Critics of Downbeat Magazine voted him Best Jazz Drummer from 1966 through 1975, each year, and again from 1995 through 2000. Since the ‘70s, he led his own band called The Jazz Machine, which is still active today. In 1998, he recorded with Cecil Taylor (piano) and Dewey Redman (tenor sax). Elvin passed away May 18, 2004 at the age of 76.