Roland Hanna

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. This interest increased after his time in military service, 1950–52. He studied briefly at the Eastman School of Music in 1953 and then enrolled at the Juilliard School when he moved to New York 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 this orchestra in 1972. 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.

Hanna is often referred to as "Sir Roland Hanna" as he was given an honorary knighthood by President William Tubman of Liberia in 1970. Hanna was a professor of jazz at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College (CUNY) in Flushing, New York, and taught at several other music schools. He died of a viral infection of the heart on November 13, 2002.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Compilations

• Colors from a Giant's Kit (IPO)

With the New York Jazz Quartet

• In Concert in Japan with Ron Carter, Ben Riley, Frank Wess (Salvation, 1975)
• 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)
• 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)

With Mingus Dynasty

• Live At Montreux (Atlantic 1981)
• Reincarnation (Soul Note 1982)
• Mingus' Sounds Of Love (Soul Note 1988)
• Live At The Village Vanguard (Storyville 1989)
• Epitaph (Charles Mingus composition) (As Mingus) (Columbia 1990)

As sideman

With Pepper Adams

• Ephemera (Spotlite, 1973)
• Reflectory (Muse, 1978)

With Gene Ammons

• My Way (Prestige, 1971)

With George Benson

• Good King Bad (CTI, 1975)

With Dee Dee Bridgewater

• Afro Blue (Trio, 1974)

With Ruth Brown

• Ruth Brown '65 (Mainstream, 1965)

With Kenny Burrell

• Swingin' (Blue Note, 1956 [rel. 1980])
• On View at the Five Spot Cafe (Blue Note, 1959)
• Asphalt Canyon Suite (Verve, 1969)
• Ellington Is Forever Volume Two (Fantasy, 1975)

With Ron Carter

• All Blues (CTI, 1973)
• Spanish Blue (CTI, 1974)
• Stardust (Somethin' Else, 2001)

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

• Love Calls (RCA Victor, 1968)

With Richard Davis

• Muses for Richard Davis (MPS, 1969)
• Persia My Dear (DIW, 1987)

With Eddie Daniels

• First Prize! (Prestige 1966)

With Jon Faddis and Billy Harper

• Jon & Billy (Trio, 1974)

With Stéphane Grappelli

• Meets the Rhythm Section (1973)

With John Handy

• In the Vernacular (Roulette, 1958)

With Jimmy Heath

• Little Man Big Band (Verve, 1992)

With Al Hibbler

• Early One Morning (LMI, 1964)

With Freddie Hubbard

• The Hub of Hubbard (MPS, 1970)

With Elvin Jones

• Dear John C. (Impulse!, 1965)
• Very R.A.R.E. (Trio (Japan), 1979)

With Jim Hall

• Concierto (CTI,1975)

With Miriam Klein

• By Myself (L+R, 1979)

With Jimmy Knepper

• Cunningbird (SteepleChase, 1977)
• I Dream Too Much (Soul Note, 1984)

With Hubert Laws

• Laws' Cause (Atlantic, 1968)

With Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

• Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra – Jazz At Lincoln Center: They Came To Swing (Sony, 1992)

With Herbie Mann

• Glory of Love (A&M, 1967)

With Les McCann

• Comment (Atlantic, 1970)

With Charles Mingus

• Mingus Dynasty (Columbia, 1959)

With Frank Morgan

• You Must Believe in Spring (Antilles, 1992)

With Idris Muhammad

• House of the Rising Sun (Kudu, 1976)

With Ray Nance

• Body and Soul (Solid State, 1969)

With Kwame Nkrumah

• The Ninth Son (Columbia, 1969)

With Seldon Powell

• Seldon Powell Sextet Featuring Jimmy Cleveland (Roost 1956)

With Red Rodney

• The Red Tornado (Muse, 1975)
• Red, White and Blues (Muse, 1978)
• The 3R's (Muse, 1979 [1982])

With Don Sebesky

• The Rape of El Morro (CTI, 1975)

With Louis Smith (musician)

• Prancin (Steeple Chase 1979)

With Sonny Stitt

• Mr. Bojangles (Cadet, 1973)
• Satan (Cadet, 1974)

With Phil Woods

• Round Trip (Verve, 1969)