John Hicks, R.I.P.

This Sad news just came across on the Jazz Programmers list-serv:

John Hicks, a great and probably underappreciated jazz pianist, has died. Hicks was a thoughtful, hard-swinging New York player who did time with Art Blakey's band.

He was particularly impressive when he played small, intimate places like the old Bradley's on University Avenue, not far from Washington Square Park in the NYU neighborhood. That club is long gone, but I visited it on several occasions when I lived in Greenwich Village during the summer of 1985. I was a grad student in NYU's cinema studies program at the time.

Hicks' self-titled 1984 album on Theresa, with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and bassist Walter Booker, is a good place to start. But he recorded loads of worthwhile discs, for many different labels.

Here's Scott Yanow's entry on Hicks from the All Music Guide:

A versatile pianist who is able to retain his own personality whether playing hard bop, free, or anything in between, John Hicks has recorded many records throughout his career, both as a leader and as a sideman. After studying music at Lincoln University in Missouri, Hicks attended Berklee and started working as a freelance musician. He moved to New York in 1963, and was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (1964-1966), and the groups of Betty Carter (1966-1968) and Woody Herman (1968-1970). He later worked again with Blakey (1973) and Carter (1975-1980), in addition to recording with Oliver Lake, Lester Bowie, Charles Tolliver, and Chico Freeman (1978-1979). From the early '80s on, Hicks has led his own trio and worked regularly with David Murray, Arthur Blythe, Pharoah Sanders, and others. As a leader, John Hicks has recorded for Strata East, Theresa, Limetree, DIW, Timeless, Red Baron, Concord, Evidence, Novus, Reservoir, Mapleshade, and Landmark, among others.

Here's a December 1994 blurb on Hicks that Peter Watrous wrote for the New York Times' "Sounds About Town" section:

"John Hicks, Bradley's, 70 University Place, Greenwich Village, (212) 228-6440. John Hicks is an articulate, active pianist who always plays as if the present chorus is the last. He is to be backed by the bassist David Williams and the drummer Victor Lewis, which is an exceptional rhythm section. It is to be interactive, a three-way musical conversation at its best. The show is to start at 9 P.M., and $115 buys a five-course dinner and Champagne. The cover without a meal is $25, with a $20 minimum. From 1 A.M. to 4 A.M., the cover is $20, with a $15 minimum."

For updates on funeral services, and more information on Hicks, go to johnhicksmusic.com.