Urbanity (album)

Urbanity is an album by American jazz pianist Hank Jones featuring solo piano recordings from 1947 and 1953 which was released on the Clef label.^[1][2]

Urbanity
Studio album by Hank Jones
Released	1956
Recorded	September–October, 1947 and September 4, 1953 New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	51:55 CD reissue with bonus tracks
Label	Clef MGC 707
Producer	Norman Granz
Hank Jones chronology
Urbanity (1956) The Trio (1955)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[4]

Allmusic awarded the album 3 stars stating, "Particularly on the unaccompanied solos, Hank Jones shows off the influence of Art Tatum, while the trio cuts are more boppish and sometimes recall the King Cole Trio. Excellent music".^[3]

Track listing

All compositions by Hank Jones except as indicated

1. "Thad's Pad" - 2:56
2. "Things Are So Pretty in the Spring" (Hank Jones, Helen Jones) - 3:38
3. "Little Girl Blue" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) - 2:45
4. "Odd Number" - 3:30
5. "Blues for Lady Day" - 2:41
6. "The Night We Called It a Day" (Matt Dennis, Tom Adair) - 3:20
7. "Yesterdays" (Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach) - 3:03
8. "You're Blasé" (Ord Hamilton, Bruce Sievier) - 3:06
9. "Tea for Two" (Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar) - 3:00
10. "The Blue Room" (Rodgers, Hart) - 2:42
11. "Thad's Pad" [Alternative Take] - 3:00
12. "Thad's Pad" [False Start and Incomplete Take] - 0:31 "Thad's Pad" [Alternative Take] - 2:58
13. "Things Are So Pretty in the Spring" [Alternative Take] (Jones, Jones) - 4:13
14. "Things Are So Pretty in the Spring" [Breakdown Takes 3-6] (Jones, Jones) - 3:19
15. "Things Are So Pretty in the Spring" [Alternative Take] (Jones, Jones) - 3:36
16. "Things Are So Pretty in the Spring" [Alternative Take] (Jones, Jones) - 3:39

NOTE: tracks 11-17 are bonus track only on CD reissue

Personnel

• Hank Jones - piano solo (tracks 5-10) rec. September-October 1947
• Hank Jones - trio (tracks 1-4 & 11-17) rec. September 1953 with
• Johnny Smith - guitar
• Ray Brown - bass

Album design

LP cover illustration by David Stone Martin

References

1. Edwards, D. & Callahan, M. Clef Label Discography, accessed November 24, 2015
2. Hank Jones Catalog accessed November 24, 2015
3. Yanow, Scott. Urbanity – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
4. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 794. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.