EIGHTY-EIGHT KEYS
TO SOMEWHERE ELSE

A transporting collection from
a jazz master makes one spin
feel nowhere near enough

Nearly a quarter-century after Sir Roland Hanna’s death, a new compilation reminds us just how alive his music remains—Hanna can still make time disappear. Songs of Hope, Inspiration and Joy gathers 14 previously recorded solo-piano performances into an album that is magically transporting: exquisite, intimate, playful and seemingly effortless. Most of the selections come from Hanna’s IPO recordings Everything I Love and Colors From a Giant’s Kit, yet heard together they feel remarkably of a piece, revealing a pianist whose formidable technique never calls attention to itself at the expense of warmth or feeling. Hanna moves from the hushed beauty of John Coltrane’s “Naima” and Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” to the wit of Stephen Sondheim’s “Comedy Tonight” and the exhilarating flight of “Cherokee.”  There is extraordinary warmth here; he makes the piano sing, converse, reminisce and occasionally wink; even his most intricate passages retain an extraordinary lightness of touch. This is music that seems to lift you out of the room, deposit you somewhere more graceful, and leave you reluctant to return. My immediate response when the final notes faded: start it again.

TRACKS:

1. “Colors From a Giant’s Kit” — 2:11
2. “A Story, Often Told but Seldom Heard” — 8:06
3. “A Child Is Born” (Thad Jones) — 6:51
4. “Bags — A Tribute” — 5:23
5. “Natalie Rosanne Beautiful Baby Girl” — 3:22
6. “Naima” (John Coltrane) — 5:26
7. “Sea Changes” (Tommy Flanagan) — 4:22
8. “Robin’s Nest” (Bob Russell, Illinois Jacquet, Sir Charles Thompson) — 4:29
9. “‘Cello” — 3:34
10. “Lush Life” (Billy Strayhorn) — 7:23
11. “Comedy Tonight” (Stephen Sondheim) — 3:20
12. “Century Rag” — 5:22
13. “Dalarna” (Tommy Flanagan) — 5:18
14. “Cherokee” (Ray Noble) — 6:32

Hanna studied classical piano from the age of 11, but was strongly interested in jazz, having been introduced to it by his friend, pianist Tommy Flanagan. This interest increased after his time in military service (1950–1952). He studied briefly at the Eastman School of Music in 1953 and then enrolled at Juilliard two years later. He worked with several big names in the 1950s, including Benny Goodman and Charles Mingus. Between 1963 and 1966, Hanna led his own trio, then from 1966 to 1974 he was a regular member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Hanna also toured the Soviet Union with the orchestra in 1972. During the 1970s, he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet. 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. Thereafter, Hanna was often known as “Sir Roland Hanna.”

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Songs of Hope, Inspiration and Joy
Sir Roland Hanna — solo piano
IPO Recordings, 2026
14 tracks
for more info, visit Roland Hanna

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