The Hot Box Episode 27 in which we delve into the piano files labelled “J”

It so happens that J is a significant file for the fact that it contains Keith Jarrett, Ahmad Jamal and Hank Jones, three mighty big reputations and among the most popular jazz pianists of all time. It’s easy to be blown away by the sheer volume of material that Jarrett has created in trio, solo and other formats, so we have been highly selective (based on the 35 CDs in the file!).

Jamal is among the most interesting players, having been dismissed early in his career as “just a cocktail pianist”, until an angry response from Miles Davis came to his rescue. He established himself as the custodian of a new piano style, at a time when everyone else thought they had to obey the rules of be-bop. Then there is the immaculate Hank, eldest of the supremely talented Jones boys, Thadeus (Thad) and Elvin. His contributions to this Hot Box are exquisite.