Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger,
music director
A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the d ...
, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters fellow in 2017. His grandson is designer and artist
Adam Charlap Hyman
Adam Charlap Hyman (born 1989) is an American designer and artist. He is the co-founder and partner of Charlap Hyman & Herrero, an architecture and design firm based out of New York City and Los Angeles. His grandfather is pianist and composer D ...
.
As a pianist, Hyman has been praised for his versatility. ''
DownBeat
' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...
'' magazine characterized him as "a pianist of longstanding grace and bountiful talent, with an ability to adapt to nearly any historical style, from stride to bop to modernist sound-painting."
Early life
Hyman was born in New York City on March 8, 1927 to
Joseph C. Hyman
Joseph Charlap Hyman
(1899 – February 10, 1949) was an American attorney, social worker, and philanthropist. He was born in New York, to Abraham Chaim Charlap, a member of the Sephardic rabbinical dynasty of Gedaliah ibn Yahya ben Joseph and a ...
and Lee Roven, and grew up in suburban
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. As of t ...
. His older brother, Arthur, owned a jazz record collection and introduced him to the music of
Bix Beiderbecke
Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer.
Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical app ...
and Art Tatum.
Hyman was trained classically by his mother's brother, the concert pianist Anton Rovinsky, who premiered ''The Celestial Railroad'' by
Charles Ives
Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, one of the first American composers of international renown. His music was largely ignored during his early career, and many of his works went unperformed f ...
in 1928. Hyman said of Rovinsky: "He was my most important teacher. I learned touch from him and a certain amount of repertoire, especially Beethoven. On my own I pursued Chopin. I loved his ability to take a melody and embellish it in different arbitrary ways, which is exactly what we do in jazz. Chopin would have been a terrific jazz pianist! His waltzes are in my improvising to this day."
Hyman enlisted in the U.S. Army in June 1945, and was transferred to the U.S. Navy band department. “Once I got into the band department, I was working with much more experienced musicians than I was used to," Hyman once stated. "I’d played in a couple of kid bands in New York, playing dances, but the Navy meant business — I had to show up, read music, and be with a bunch of better players than I had run into." After leaving the Navy he attended Columbia College. While there, Hyman won a piano competition, for which the prize was 12 free lessons with swing-era pianist Teddy Wilson Hyman has said that he "fell in love with jazz" during this period.
Career
Relax Records released Hyman's solo piano versions of "
All the Things You Are
"All the Things You Are" is a song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II.
The song was written for the musical ''Very Warm for May'' (1939)
" and "
You Couldn't Be Cuter
"You Couldn't Be Cuter" is a 1938 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Dorothy Fields.
It was written for the film ''Joy of Living'' (1938) where it was introduced by Irene Dunne.
Popular recordings in 1938 were by Tommy Dorsey ...
" around 1950. He recorded two honky-tonk piano albums under the pseudonym "Knuckles O'Toole" (including two original compositions), and recorded more as "Willie the Rock Knox" and "Slugger Ryan".
As a studio musician in the 1950s and early 1960s, Hyman performed with Tony Bennett,
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...
LaVern Baker
Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American R&B singer who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedle Dee" (1955), " Jim Dandy" (1956), and "I ...
,
Ruth Brown
Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the " Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atl ...
Hannah and Her Sisters
''Hannah and Her Sisters'' is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begins and ends with a family Thanksgiving dinner. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, who ...
Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin ( 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an American composer and pianist. Because of the fame achieved for his ragtime compositions, he was dubbed the "King of Ragtime." During his career, he wrote over 40 original ragtime pieces, one ra ...
'', ''
The Lemon Sisters
''The Lemon Sisters'' is a 1990 American comedy-drama film from Miramax Films directed by Joyce Chopra and written by Jeremy Pikser. The film stars Diane Keaton, Carol Kane and Kathryn Grody. The film was both a commercial and critical failure af ...
'' and ''
Alan and Naomi
''Alan & Naomi'' is a 1992 film about the friendship between two children in 1944 Brooklyn. Lukas Haas and Vanessa Zaoui star as the title characters, and the screenplay is based on the novel by Myron Levoy. The 1977 novel is an American Book Awa ...
''. His music has also been heard in '' Mask'', ''
Billy Bathgate
''Billy Bathgate'' is a 1989 novel by author E. L. Doctorow that won the 1989 National Book Critics Circle award for fiction for 1990, the 1990 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the 1990 William Dean Howells Medal, and was the runner-up for the 1 ...
'', '' Two Weeks Notice'', and other films. He was music director of ''The Movie Music of Woody Allen'', which premiered at the
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018.
The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
. He was the pianist/conductor/arranger in Tharp's ''Eight Jelly Rolls'', ''Baker's Dozen'', and ''The Bix Pieces'' and similarly arranged and performed for ''Miles Davis: Porgy and Bess'', a choreographed production of the Dance Theater of Dallas. In 2007, his ''Adventures of Tom Sawyer'', commissioned by the
John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts
The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, is a performing arts company, cultural arts center, and community music school in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The institute has three performance venues, various community meeting rooms, and extensive ...
and produced for the stage by Toni Pimble of the Eugene Ballet, premiered in
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.
As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...
.
In the 1960s, Hyman recorded several pop albums on
Enoch Light
Enoch Henry Light (August 18, 1907 – July 31, 1978) was an American classically trained violinist, danceband leader, and recording engineer. As the leader of various dance bands that recorded as early as March 1927 and continuing through at le ...
's Command Records. At first, he used the Lowrey organ, on the albums ''Electrodynamics'' (US No. 117), ''Fabulous'' (US No. 132), ''Keyboard Kaleidoscope'' and ''The Man from O.R.G.A.N.'' He later recorded several albums on the
Moog synthesizer
The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...
which mixed original compositions and cover versions, including ''Moog: The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman''(Can No. 35), and '' The Age of Electronicus'' (US No. 110).
The track "The Minotaur" from ''The Electric Eclectics'' (1969) charted in the US top 40 (US R&B Singles No. 27; Hot 100 No. 38) (No. 20 Canada), becoming the first Moog single hit (although, as originally released on 45, it was labeled as the B-side to the shorter "Topless Dancers of Corfu"). Some elements from the track "The Moog and Me" (most notably the whistle that serves as the song's lead-in) on the same album were sampled by
Beck
Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...
for the track "
Sissyneck
"Sissyneck" is a song by American musician Beck, released as the fourth single from his fifth album, ''Odelay'' (1996). For the bass line of the song, the Dust Brothers sampled "A Part of Me" by the band ''Country Funk''. The whistling in the int ...
" on his 1996 album '' Odelay''.
Hyman has been a guest performer at jazz festivals and concert venues. Around 1995, Hyman and his wife moved permanently to Venice, Florida.Feinman, M. (Spring 2012). A Conversation with Dick Hyman. ''Saw Palm, 6,'' 97-99. Retrieved from http://www.sawpalm.org/uploads/6/6/2/8/6628902/saw_palm_-_volume_6_-_2012.pdf on 2 February 2022.
Discography
As leader
As sideman
With Ruby Braff
* ''Bugle Call Rag'' (Jazz Vogue, 1976)
* ''Fireworks'' (Inner City, 1985)
* ''Music from South Pacific'' (Concord Jazz, 1991)
* ''Very Sinatra'' (Red Baron, 1993)
* ''A Pipe Organ Recital Plus One'' (Bellaphon, 1996)
* ''Watch What Happens'' (Arbors, 2002)
* ''You Brought a New Kind of Love'' (Arbors, 2004)
With
Jim Cullum Jr.
James Albert Cullum Jr., better known as Jim Cullum Jr. (September 20, 1941 – August 11, 2019), was an American jazz cornetist known for his contributions to Dixieland jazz. His father was Jim Cullum Sr., a clarinetist who led the Happy Jazz ...
* ''New Year's All Star Jam'' (Pacific Vista, 1993)
* ''Honky Tonk Train'' (Riverwalk, 1994)
* ''Hot Jazz for a Cool Yule'' (Riverwalk, 1995)
* ''Fireworks! Red Hot & Blues'' (Riverwalk, 1996)
* ''American Love Songs'' (Riverwalk, 1997)
With
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing".
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
* ''Date with the King'' (Columbia, 1956)
* ''Benny Goodman'' (Capitol, 1956)
* ''Benny Goodman Plays Selections from the Benny Goodman Story'' (Capitol, 1956)
With Urbie Green
* ''21 Trombones'' (Project 3, 1967)
* ''21 Trombones Rock, Blues, Jazz, Volume Two'' (Project 3, 1969)
* ''Green Power'' (Project 3, 1971)
* ''Bein' Green'' (Project 3, 1972)
* ''Oleo'' (Pausa, 1978)
With
Enoch Light
Enoch Henry Light (August 18, 1907 – July 31, 1978) was an American classically trained violinist, danceband leader, and recording engineer. As the leader of various dance bands that recorded as early as March 1927 and continuing through at le ...
The Alternative Wes Montgomery
''The Alternative Wes Montgomery'' is a compilation album by the American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1982. It contains alternate takes from previous albums for Riverside. All the tracks are available on '' Wes Montgomery: The Comple ...
'' (Milestone, 1982)
* ''Born to Be Blue'' (Riverside, 1983)
With Tony Mottola
* ''Romantic Guitar'' (Command, 1963)
* ''Heart & Soul'' (Project 3, 1966)
* ''Guitar U.S.A.'' (Command, 1967)
* ''Lush, Latin & Lovely'' (Project 3, 1967)
* ''Roma Oggi - Rome Today'' (Project 3, 1968)
* ''Warm, Wild and Wonderful'' (Project 3, 1968)
* ''Tony Mottola's Guitar Factory'' (Project 3, 1970)
* ''Tony Mottola and the Quad Guitars'' (Project 3, 1973)
With Flip Phillips
* ''Flip Phillips Collates'' (Clef, 1952)
* ''A Real Swinger'' (Concord Jazz, 1988)
* ''Try a Little Tenderness'' (Chiaroscuro, 1993)
* ''Flip Philllips Celebrates His 80th Birthday at the March of Jazz 1995'' (Arbors, 2003)
With
Doc Severinsen
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''.
Early life
Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) a ...
* ''Fever'' (Command, 1966)
* ''Live!'' (Command, 1966)
* ''The New Sound of Today's Big Band'' (Command, 1967)
With
Bob Wilber
Robert Sage Wilber (March 15, 1928 – August 4, 2019) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and band leader. Although his scope covers a wide range of jazz, Wilber was a dedicated advocate of classic styles, working throughout his caree ...
* ''Soprano Summit'' (World Jazz, 1974)
* ''Summit Reunion'' (Chiaroscuro, 1990)
* ''Bufadora Blow-up'' (Arbors, 1997)
* ''A Perfect Match'' (Arbors, 1998)
* ''Everywhere You Go There's Jazz'' (Arbors, 1999)
* ''A Tribute to Kenny Davern and 80th Birthday Salute to Bob Wilber'' (2009)
With others
*
Howard Alden
Howard Vincent Alden (born October 17, 1958) is an American jazz guitarist born in Newport Beach, California. Alden has recorded many albums for Concord Records, including four with seven-string guitar innovator George Van Eps.
Early life
How ...
, ''Howard Alden Plays the Music of Harry Reser'' (
Stomp Off
Stomp Off is an American jazz record company and label founded in 1980 by Bob Erdos in York, Pennsylvania. The label's first release was ''Feelin' Devilish'' by Waldo's Gutbucket Serenaders.
It was described in 1986 as concentrating on "jazz in t ...
The Mighty Two
Track listing
#"Rent Man / Resident Area" - Black Uhuru / Jah Grundy – 7:18
#"Heavy Manners" - Prince Far-I – 3:16
#"Rockers" - Glen Washington – 2:34
#"Rockers Dub" - Joe Gibbs and The Professionals – 2:45
#"Navel String" - Dennis ...
'' (Roulette, 1963)
*
Ruth Brown
Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the " Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atl ...
, ''
Miss Rhythm
''Miss Rhythm'' is an album by vocalist Ruth Brown featuring tracks recorded between 1954 and 1959 and released on the Atlantic Records, Atlantic label.Evan Christopher, ''Delta Bound'' (Arbors, 2007)
* Don Elliott and
Rusty Dedrick
Lyle "Rusty" Dedrick (12 July 1918 – 25 December 2009) was an American swing and bebop jazz trumpeter and composer born in Delevan, New York, probably better known for his work with Bill Borden, Dick Stabile, Red Norvo, Ray McKinley and Clau ...
, ''
Counterpoint for Six Valves
''Counterpoint for Six Valves'' is an album by American jazz trumpeters Don Elliott and Rusty Dedrick which was recorded in 1955 for the Riverside label.
Shut Yo' Mouth!
''Shut Yo' Mouth'' is a 1981 collaboration album by bassists Major Holley and Slam Stewart, released on PM Records and Delos Records.
Track listing
#" Tomorrow"
#" I Love You"
#" Would You Like To Take A Walk"
#" Side By Side"
#" Close Your Eyes"
...
J. J. Johnson
J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger.
Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop.
Biograph ...
Mundell Lowe
James Mundell Lowe (April 21, 1922 – December 2, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist who worked often in radio, television, and film, and as a session musician.
He produced film and TV scores in the 1970s, such as the ''Billy Jack'' soundtrac ...
, ''
The Mundell Lowe Quartet
''The Mundell Lowe Quartet'' is an album by American jazz guitarist Mundell Lowe that was released in 1955 by Riverside Records.Mark Murphy, ''
That's How I Love the Blues! That's may refer to:
* ''"That's"'', a brand name used on recordable media by Taiyo Yuden and its subsidiary ''That's Fukushima Co., Ltd.''
* Several English-language listings magazines in the People's Republic of China
**''That's Beijing''
**''Tha ...
'' (Riverside, 1963) – recorded in 1962
*
Bette Midler
Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...
, ''
Songs for the New Depression
''Songs for the New Depression'' is the third studio album by the American singer Bette Midler, released in early 1976 on the Atlantic Records label. The album was released on CD for the first time in 1990. A remastered version of the album was ...
'' (Atlantic, 1976) – recorded in 1972-76
* Sandy Stewart, ''Sandy Stewart Sings the Songs of Jerome Kern with Dick Hyman at the Piano'' (Audiophile, 1995) – recorded in 1994
* Toots Thielemans, ''The Whistler and His Guitar'' (Metronome, 1962)
How About This
''How About This'' is an album by vocalist Kay Starr and pianist and bandleader Count Basie, released in 1969 by the Paramount Records label.Edwards, D. & Callahan, MParamount Album Discography accessed November 15, 2015
Background
In the 1960s, ...
'' (Paramount, 1968) with
Kay Starr
Katherine Laverne Starks (July 21, 1922 – November 3, 2016), known professionally as Kay Starr, was an American singer who enjoyed considerable success in the late 1940s and 1950s. She was of Iroquois and Irish heritage. Starr performed multip ...