John Hicks

John Hicks出生于密苏里州的圣路易城，与萨克斯风手Lucky Thompson、小号手Clark Terry和 Miles Davis等伟大的乐手为同乡。在学习音乐的过程中，John Hicks广泛地吸收了早期的蓝调钢琴风格如Boogie-Woogie与阔步（stride）、教堂诗歌、百老汇歌舞剧，以及现代爵士乐中的咆勃乐，奠立了他极富弹性的弹奏基础。影响John Hicks演奏生涯的关键，是从一九六四年加入亚特.布雷基与爵士使者乐团（Art Blakey and Jazz Messangers），替代Cedar Walton的位置开始。爵士使者乐团不但是当时顶尖的现代爵士乐团，也是精纯咆勃乐（hard bop）的推广者和代言人。John Hicks在这个乐团待了三年有余，录制了 Soul Finger、’S Make It等专辑。后来也曾受邀为Woody Herman大乐团编曲，并担任歌手Betty Carter的钢琴伴奏.放眼当今爵士乐坛，一个钢琴手能够同时具备McCoy Tyner最擅长的五声音阶与威力演奏（power play）、Kenny Barron的甘甜与拉丁味、Sonny Clark的律动感与架构于蓝调曲式，极其流畅又不落俗套的即兴乐句，与Billy Strayhorn的婉约和柔情，John Hicks可能是唯一的一个。　
 
by Jason Ankeny
 
A longtime fixture of the New York City jazz landscape, pianist John Hicks was an artist of uncommon versatility, moving effortlessly from pop standards to the avant-garde while retaining the dense physicality and intense energy that were the hallmarks of his approach. Born December 12, 1941, in Atlanta, Hicks was still an infant when his preacher father relocated the family to Los Angeles. He spent the better part of his teen years in St. Louis, and counted among his classmates there the young Lester Bowie. Hicks mother was his first piano teacher, and after a stint at Lincoln University in Missouri he attended the Berklee School of Music and the Juilliard School; he later cited influences spanning from Fats Waller to Thelonious Monk to Methodist church hymns, and his catholic listening tastes were instrumental in shaping his far-ranging skills as a player. After touring in support of bluesman Albert King and hard bop tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, Hicks backed singer Della Reese during a 1963 New York club residency, and the city remained his home for the rest of his life. In the wake of stints with Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson, Hicks joined Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers in 1964, collaborating alongside the likes of trumpeters Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard. Two years later, he signed on with singer Betty Carter, like Blakey a keen judge of emerging talent. Upon exiting Carters band in 1968, Hicks spent the remainder of the decade with Woody Herman and entered the decade to follow as a first-call sideman. He also moonlighted as an educator, and during the early 70s taught jazz and improvisation at Southern Illinois University.
 
After backing Carter on her 1976 date Now Its My Turn, Hicks returned to her backing group full-time. The exposure vaulted him to new renown, and in 1979 he finally led his own studio effort, After the Morning. With 1981s Some Other Time, cut with bassist Walter Booker and drummer Idris Muhammad, Hicks also emerged as a gifted composer, writing his best-known effort, Naimas Love Song, in honor of his young daughter. He recorded prolifically in the years to follow, concentrating on solo and small ensemble work including stints as member of the Power Trio and the Keystone Trio. He also served as the regular pianist with the Mingus Dynasty Band and for a time led his own big band. Hicks enjoyed his greatest commercial success with a series of tribute LPs celebrating the music of his mentors and influences, highlighted by 1998s Something to Live For (a collection of Billy Strayhorn compositions), 2000s Impressions of Mary Lou (Williams, of course), and 2003s Fathas Day (honoring Earl Hines). Hicks longest and most rewarding collaboration was his partnership with flutist Elise Wood, which launched in 1983 and after several studio sessions and tours culminated in marriage in 2001, around the time of the release of their duo recording Beautiful Friendship. Hicks died suddenly on May 10, 2006. Just three days earlier, he delivered his final performance at Harlems St. Marks United Methodist Church, where his father served as a minister prior to his own death. Hicks was 64 years old.