Roland Hanna

 ( 1932 Births ) 

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.

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.

Posthumous compilations

• Memoir One For Eiji with Eiji Nakayama (What's New, 2004)
• Colors from a Giant's Kit (IPO, 2011)

• In Concert in Japan with Ron Carter, Ben Riley, Frank Wess (Salvation, 1975) – live
• Surge with George Mraz, Richie Pratt, Frank Wess, (Enja, 1977)
• Song of the Black Knight with George Mraz, Richie 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

• 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)
• 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)

• Sir Roland Hanna at allaboutjazz.com