Roland Pembroke Hanna (February 10, 1932 – November 13, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and teacher.
Biography Hanna studied classical piano from the age of 11, but was strongly interested in jazz, having been introduced to it by his friend, pianist Tommy Flanagan.Keepnews, Peter (November 15, 2002) "Roland Hanna, a Jazz Pianist and Composer, Dies at 70". New York Times This interest increased after his time in military service (1950–1952). He studied briefly at the Eastman School of Music in 1953 and then enrolled at the Juilliard School when he moved to New York City two years later. He worked with several big names in the 1950s, including Benny Goodman and Charles Mingus, and graduated in 1960. Between 1963 and 1966, Hanna led his own trio, then from 1966 to 1974 he was a regular member of The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Hanna also toured the Soviet Union with the orchestra in 1972.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, p. 292, Oxford University Press During the 1970s, he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet.
Roland Hanna was in semi-retirement for most of the 1980s, though he played piano and wrote the song "Seasons" for Sarah Vaughan's 1982 album Crazy and Mixed Up, and returned to music later in the decade. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hanna was a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Around this time, he also began composing chamber and orchestral music; a ballet he wrote has also been performed.
In 1970, Hanna was given an honorary knighthood by President William Tubman of Liberia in recognition of concerts he played in the country to raise money for education. Thereafter, Hanna was often known as "Sir Roland Hanna." Hanna was a professor of jazz at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in Flushing, New York, and taught at several other music schools. He was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey.Wilson, John S. "Jazz Pianist Sees the Stardom at End of Tunnel", The New York Times, June 1, 1975. Accessed June 28, 2019. "Then last June, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Band, which plays every Monday night at the Village Vanguard in New York, suddenly lost its pianist, Roland Hanna of Teaneck, who left to form his own group."
He died in Hackensack, New Jersey, of a viral infection of the heart, on November 13, 2002.
Critic and jazz pianist Len Lyons grouped Hanna with fellow Detroit pianists Hank Jones, Barry Harris, and Flanagan for their "tasteful accompaniment and the sophisticated use of modern jazz elements in their soloing and trio work."Lyons, Len. The Great Jazz Pianists, Da Capo Press, 1983, p. 46 Jazz pianist Dick Katz observed, "Because of Roland's extensive [classical] training ... he developed a bravura technique that led him into areas where many jazz pianists don't go. He learned how to integrate his classical background into much of what he composed and played. ... Roland had the rare gift of being able to truly improvise from scratch, letting his imagination take him almost anywhere on a given theme. He was not dependent on any specific style to tell his stories. Like Earl Hines and few others, he never played a piece the same way twice." Katz, Dick. liner notes, Tributaries: Reflections on Tommy Flanagan, IPO Recordings, 2003.
Discography As leader/co-leader Year recordedTitleLabelYear releasedPersonnel/Notes1959Destry Rides AgainATCO1959Trio/quartet, with George Duvivier, Roy Burns, Kenny Burrell1959Easy to LoveATCO1960Trio, with Ben Tucker, Roy Burns 1971Child of GeminiMPS1971Trio, with Dave Holland, Daniel Humair 1973The New Heritage Keyboard QuartetBlue Note1973As The New Heritage Keyboard Quartet, with Mickey Tucker, Richard Davis, Eddie Gladden 1973Sir Elf:Choice1973Solo piano 1974Let It HappenRCA1974As The Jazz Piano Quartet, with Dick Hyman, Hank Jones, Marian McPartland1973–1974WalkinJazz Hour1990Some tracks trio, with George Mraz, Mel Lewis; some tracks quartet, with Stéphane Grappelli added 1974PerugiaFreedom1975Solo piano; in concert 1974Informal SoloHi-Fly1974Solo piano. Reissued as Solo Piano (Storyville, 2005)19741 X 1Toho (Japan) 1974Duo, with George Mraz1975Roland Hanna TrioSalvation (Japan)1975Trio, with Ron Carter, Ben Riley 1976Porgy & BessTrio (Japan)1976Duo, with George Mraz 197624 Preludes Book 1Salvation (Japan)1976Some tracks solo piano; some tracks duo, with George Mraz 1977At Home With FriendsProgressive1977Trio, with George Mraz, Richard Pratt; also released as Time for the Dancers (1980) 1977Sir Elf Plus 1Choice1978Some tracks solo piano; some tracks duo, with George Mraz 1977GloveTrio (Japan)1977Trio, with George Mraz, Motohiko Hino197724 Preludes Book 2Salvation (Japan)1978Some tracks solo piano; some tracks duo, with George Mraz1978Roland Hanna Plays the Music of Alec WilderTrio (Japan)1978Solo piano 1978This Must Be LoveProgressive1978Trio, with George Mraz, Ben Riley 1978RolandscapeProgressive1978Trio, with George Mraz, Ben Riley1978Bird WatchingProgressive1978Solo piano1978Roland Hanna and George Mraz Play for MonkMusical Heritage Society1978Duo, with George Mraz 1978A Gift from the MagiWest 541979Solo piano1979 Swing Me No WaltzesStoryville1980Solo piano. Additional tracks from 1973 included in 2000 reissue. 1979TrinityL+R1979Trio, with Hans Koller, Attila Zoller 1979Piano SoliloquyL+R1980Solo piano 1979ImpressionsBlack & Blue1979Trio, with Major Holley, Alan Dawson. also released as Lover Come Back to Me (Norma, 1979). 1979Och Jungfrun Gick Åt Killan...Sonet1979Solo piano 1979Sunrise, SunsetLob (Japan)1979Duo, with George Mraz. Reissued as When You Wish Upon a Star (AMJ, 2002) 1982RomanesqueTrio (Japan)1982Duo, with George Mraz 1982Gershwin Carmichael CatsCTI1982Duo/trio/quartet/quintet/sextet/dectet1987?Manhattan ChristmasFun House1987Solo piano1987Round MidnightTown Crier Recordings1987Solo piano1987This Time It's Real - Live At Slukefter-Tivoli Gardens Storyville1988Quartet, with Jesper Thilo, Mads Winding, Aage Tanggaard; in concert1987Persia My DearDIW1987Trio, with Richard Davis, Freddie Waits1987?The BarFun House1988Trio, with Clint Houston, Lewis Nash1990Duke Ellington Piano SolosMusicMasters1991Solo piano1990MemoirCentury (Japan)1990Duo, with Eiji Nakayama 1993Sir Roland Hanna Quartet Plays GershwinLRC/Laserlight1993Quartet, with Bill Easley, Jon Burr, Ronnie Burrage 1993Maybeck Recital Hall Series, Volume Thirty-TwoConcord1994Solo piano; in concert1994?Jazz SonatasAngel1994Some tracks duo, with Dick Hyman; some tracks quartet, with chamber trio1995Ancestral LightRed Earth Jazz1999Duo, with George Mraz 19963 for AllCei Cymekob 1996Trio, with Bucky Pizzarelli, Jon Burr1996Hush A ByeWhat'sNew (Japan)1997Trio, with Eiji Nakayama, Seiji Komatsu1997The Three Black KingsJazz Friends Productions1997Trio, with Richard Davis, Andrew Cyrille1997I Love Be-BopRahanna Music1998Trio, with Yoshio Aomori, Cris Roselli. Self-released.1998?Family & FriendsPrestige Elite1998With Michael Hanna1998Royal Essence: An Evening of EllingtonJazzmont1999Duo, with Davey Yarborough; in concert2001DreamVenus2001Trio, with Paul West, Eddie Locke (drums) 2002Milano, Paris, New York: Finding John LewisVenus 2002Trio, with George Mraz, Lewis Nash 2002Everything I LoveIPO 2002Solo piano2002I've Got a Right to Sing the BluesIPO2002Duo, with Carrie Smith 2002Tributaries: Reflections on Tommy FlanaganIPO2003Solo piano 2002Après Un RêveVenus2003Trio, with Ron Carter, Grady Tate 2002Last ConcertWhat's New (Japan) 2003Some tracks duo, with Eiji Nakayama and Mihoko Hazama (separately); some tracks trio, with Nakayama and Hazama; in concert
Posthumous compilations Memoir One For Eiji with Eiji Nakayama (What's New, 2004) Colors from a Giant's Kit (IPO, 2011)
As member of a group The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra Presenting Joe Williams and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, the Jazz Orchestra (Solid State, 1966) Live at the Village Vanguard (Solid State, 1967) Jazz Casual – Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and Woody Herman and His Swinging Herd (1968) The Big Band Sound of Thad Jones/Mel Lewis featuring Miss Ruth Brown (Solid State, 1968) Monday Night (Solid State, 1968) Central Park North (Solid State, 1969) Basle, 1969 (TCB Music, 1969, released 1996) Consummation (Solid State/Blue Note, 1969) Live in Tokyo (Denon Jazz, 1974) Potpourri (Philadelphia International, 1974) Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica (PAUSA, 1974) Suite for Pops (A&M Horizon, 1975) New Life (A&M Horizon, 1976)
The New York Jazz Quartet In Concert in Japan with Ron Carter, Ben Riley, Frank Wess (Salvation, 1975) – live Surge with George Mraz, Richard Pratt, Frank Wess, (Enja, 1977) Song of the Black Knight with George Mraz, Richard Pratt, Frank Wess (Sonet, 1978) Blues for Sarka with George Mraz, Grady Tate, Frank Wess (Enja, 1978) – live Oasis with George Mraz, Ben Riley, Frank Wess (Enja, 1981) The New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago with George Mraz, Ben Riley, Frank Wess (Bee Hive, 1981)
Mingus Dynasty Live At Montreux (Atlantic, 1981) – live Reincarnation (Soul Note, 1982) Mingus' Sounds Of Love (Soul Note, 1988) Live At The Village Vanguard (Storyville, 1989) – live Epitaph (Charles Mingus composition) (Columbia, 1990) – live recorded in 1989
As sideman
With Pepper Adams Ephemera (Spotlite, 1974) – recorded in 1973 Reflectory (Muse, 1978)
With Kenny Burrell Swingin' (Blue Note, 1980) – recorded in 1956 On View at the Five Spot Cafe (Blue Note, 1959) – live Asphalt Canyon Suite (Verve, 1969) Ellington Is Forever Volume Two (Fantasy, 1977) – recorded in 1975
With Ron Carter All Blues (CTI, 1973) Spanish Blue (CTI, 1974) Stardust (Somethin' Else, 2001)
With Richard Davis Muses for Richard Davis (MPS, 1969) Persia My Dear (DIW, 1987)
With Elvin Jones Dear John C. (Impulse!, 1965) Very R.A.R.E. (Trio (Japan), 1979)
With Jimmy Knepper Cunningbird (SteepleChase, 1977) I Dream Too Much (Soul Note, 1984)
With Red Rodney The Red Tornado (Muse, 1975) Red, White and Blues (Muse, 1978) The 3R's (Muse, 1982) – recorded in 1979
With Sonny Stitt Mr. Bojangles (Cadet, 1973) Satan (Cadet, 1974)
With others Gene Ammons, My Way (Prestige, 1971) George Benson, Good King Bad (CTI, 1975) Dee Dee Bridgewater, Afro Blue (Trio, 1974) Ruth Brown, Ruth Brown '65 (Mainstream, 1965) Benny Carter, In the Mood for Swing (MusicMasters, 1988) Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Love Calls (RCA Victor, 1968) Eddie Daniels, First Prize! (Prestige, 1967) Mercer Ellington, Digital Duke (GRP, 1987) Jon Faddis and Billy Harper, Jon & Billy (Trio, 1974) Stéphane Grappelli, Meets the Rhythm Section (Black Lion, 1973; reissued with bonus tracks as Parisian Thoroughfare) Jim Hall, Concierto (CTI, 1975) John Handy, In the Vernacular (Roulette, 1958) Jimmy Heath, Little Man Big Band (Verve, 1992) Al Hibbler, Early One Morning (LMI, 1964) Freddie Hubbard, The Hub of Hubbard (MPS, 1970) Miriam Klein, By Myself (L+R, 1979) Hubert Laws, Laws' Cause (Atlantic, 1968) Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra – Jazz At Lincoln Center: They Came To Swing (Sony, 1992) Herbie Mann, Glory of Love (A&M, 1967) Les McCann, Comment (Atlantic, 1970) Charles Mingus, Mingus Dynasty (Columbia, 1959) Frank Morgan, You Must Believe in Spring (Antilles, 1992, Hanna plays on 2 tracks) Idris Muhammad, House of the Rising Sun (Kudu, 1976) Ray Nance, Body and Soul (Solid State, 1969) Kwame Nkrumah, The Ninth Son (Columbia, 1969) Maurice Peress, Four Symphonic Works by Duke Ellington (MusicMasters, 1989) Seldon Powell, Seldon Powell Sextet Featuring Jimmy Cleveland (Roost, 1956) Don Sebesky, The Rape of El Morro (CTI, 1975) Carol Sloane, Sophisticated Lady (Audiophile, 1977) Louis Smith (musician), Prancin (Steeple Chase, 1979) Stanley Turrentine, If I Could (MusicMasters, 1993) Sarah Vaughan, Crazy and Mixed Up (Pablo, 1982) Phil Woods, Round Trip (Verve, 1969)
References
External links
Sir Roland Hanna at allaboutjazz.com