Jacques B. Hess 1926-2011

[brownie]

French bass player, critic, historian Jacques B. Hess died last week in Bonzac, near Bordeaux, where he retired a couple of decades ago.

He was a familiar figure on the Paris jazz scene and played with Claude Bolling, Jack Dieval, Sonny Grey and many others.

Hess subbed briefly for Jimmy Woode in Duke Ellington's orchestra during a French tour in 1959. He also accompanied Bud Powell and Barney Wilen for an Italian tour in 1961 and appeared on Eric Dolphy's last recorded appearance (with Donald Byrd and Nathan Davis in a 1964 Jack Dieval date).

His WWII actions earned him the Legion of Honor (he ended the war in the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp).

Hess leading a group with René Thomas, Sonny Grey, Charles Saudrais, also Henri Renaud (unseen) in Paris in 1963...

... and interviewing Thelonious Monk in 1969

http://www.ina.fr/art-et-culture/musique/video/I09292071/interview-de-thelonious-monk.fr.html

[Gheorghe]

Of course I saw the famous interview with Monk and I know he played with Bud in Italy, but I couldn´t find any recordings about it.

I remember there was a bootleg once with both Bud and Monk from Italy 1961, but unfortunatly I didn´t purchase it.

Some months ago I wondered what had happened to him, since I couldn´t find no sources of later activities.

[HolgerFreimutSchrick]

French bass player, critic, historian Jacques B. Hess died last week in Bonzac, near Bordeaux, where he retired a couple of decades ago.

He was a familiar figure on the Paris jazz scene and played with Claude Bolling, Jack Dieval, Sonny Grey and many others.

Hess subbed briefly for Jimmy Woode in Duke Ellington's orchestra during a French tour in 1959. He also accompanied Bud Powell and Barney Wilen for an Italian tour in 1961 and appeared on Eric Dolphy's last recorded appearance (with Donald Byrd and Nathan Davis in a 1964 Jack Dieval date).

His WWII actions earned him the Legion of Honor (he ended the war in the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp).

Hess leading a group with René Thomas, Sonny Grey, Charles Saudrais, also Henri Renaud (unseen) in Paris in 1963...

... and interviewing Thelonious Monk in 1969

http://www.ina.fr/art-et-culture/musique/video/I09292071/interview-de-thelonious-monk.fr.html

thanks for the informations. I just wrote him an obituary in

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_B._Hess

Edited December 16, 2011 by Holger Schrick