Nextbop's Lost Hank Jones Interview

[Listen to Gerald Clayton's Peace for the Moment. Seems like a piece fit for the occasion.]

Two years ago, a whole year before Nextbop ever saw the light of day, we got the incredible opportunity to interview Hank Jones, during his visit to the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Hank Jones and his manager, Jean-Pierre, believed that our mission was important enough for them to give us their blessing. Mr. Jones' legacy will forever live on through the work of torchbearers such as ourselves.

Hank, I will always keep this interview in loving memory of you and it is now an honor for me to be able to share it with the world on this sad day...

Love,
seb & justin.

Nextbop: First of all, it’s really an honor to meet you. You’re truly a jazz legend and we’ve been admiring your work for quite some time.

Hank Jones: Oh! Well thank you!

NB: Basically, we started a website that aims at creating a new and younger audience for jazz music in hopes of reviving the music. So we wanted to know what your thoughts were on how the music is doing today compared to how it was doing in its “prime”, let’s say.

HJ: Actually, I’ve noticed a new interest in jazz music. Because I’ve noticed that, not only at this festival, but at other festivals, in Idaho, in Nice, in Japan, there’s a new interest in jazz. I think when you talk about the future of jazz, what it looks like down the road, I think it depends on how well you can influence the young children. I mean, you can start in the second grade maybe. The sooner they hear it the more they can retain. I think, really, there should be more emphasis on that, reaching the younger people, because that’s it, that’s the future. Not only the players but you have to think also of the listeners. And those people are gonna grow up sooner or later. They’re gonna be musicians. They’re gonna be directors They’re gonna be producers. They’re gonna be everything. So they’re gonna be familiar with the music. So I think it’s really important. That’s probably the single most important thing today: is to reach those young people, I think.

NB: Did you ever doubt the survival of jazz?

HJ: Well, yes. There were times because the emphasis had been on other things, rock ‘n roll, rhythm & blues; it used to be called racing blues! The emphasis was not always primarily on jazz. And I think people and a lot of jazz players desperately lost interest. I know, I’d be annoyed. I’d say like geez what’s happening? Because every time that you turned on the radio or listened to a recording, it was rock ‘n roll, even country music. The emphasis had not been primarily on jazz. And I think that’s the reason why a lot of people, including myself, had felt at times that maybe jazz was in a downward spiral. I think everything really moves in cycles. I think that sooner or later it would have bounced back on its own. But I think that it needs some help. It needs the promotion, it needs the active participation, and above all, reaching those young people.

NB: How does it feel for you to play with a younger generation of musicians like Joe Lovano or Brad Mehldau.

HJ: Well I’ve never played with Brad Mehldau. But I play with Joe Lovano presently and we seem to be on the same page musically. Of course there’s an age difference, but I don’t think in those terms. And Joe apparently doesn’t either. We’ve done 2 CDs together.

NB: How do you like the Montreal Jazz Festival as an event?

HJ: I think it’s a major event and they tell me now this is the major event of all the festivals. And you know I’ve seen a few of them, and I have to agree. It’s more highly organized, and it’s presented right. I think a lot of it has to do with presentation. And of course with people that participate, but I think it tells me that there’s been a lot of work going on backstage in order to produce the thing there has to have been a lot of advance work. That’s good. That’s good for the future of jazz. That’s good for the future of music, period. Jazz is not the only music that’s being played here. Of course, I understand that. But my primary interest is jazz. But I think that, for instance, I know that in Japan, from what I’ve seen. They like all types of music. Jazz, though, I think, based on the times that I’ve been there and the places that played and the responses that I’ve got, the people there seem to understand, like the people in Montreal, they seem to understand jazz. I think it varies from country to country. Some countries like blues. You can play blues all day long and they love it. For instance I won’t name any countries but that happens sometime. But I think that in jazz the emphasis has to be on jazz and reaching those youngsters. I keep saying that because it’s so important.

NB: Well thank you very much. It was really an honor. And we wish you many many more years of success.