Hampton Hawes, Jr. – born in Los Angeles, California on November 13, 1928 - was
a jazz pianist best known for his work in the 1950s. He became interested in the
piano when he was a toddler and it was reported that he was able to play complex
melodies at the age of three. By the time he was in his teens, he was performing
with West Coast jazz greats including Art Pepper, Dexter Gordon, Shorty Rogers,
and Teddy Edwards. At the age of 18, he was playing alongside Charlie Paker in
the Howard McGhee Quintet. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954, he
formed the Hampton Hawes...