Continued: Final Notes

Mona Hinton (1919-2008)

by Leslie Johnson

Mona Hinton, widow of famed bassist/photographer Milt Hinton, died May 3 at New York's North Shore Hospital after a long illness. She had lived for many years in a residence on Milt Hinton Place in Queens, N.Y.

Born Edmonia Clayton in 1919 in Centralia, Ill., she attended Poro College in Chicago and graduated as a cosmetologist. She soon realized, however, that her interests and her talents lay elsewhere, and she became a bookkeeper. Then she met Milt Hinton in 1939 at his grandmother's funeral, and the die was cast. They were married for 61 years, and she traveled extensively with him throughout his career, including his long tenure with Cab Calloway's band. She was invaluable in arranging transportation and accommodations for the band, an especially difficult chore during Jim Crow years. Later, she earned bachelor and masters degrees at Queens College, City University of New York, but full-time stints teaching elementary school ended due to travel demands. Her attention to detail was appreciated by friends, and she was named executor of the wills of Count Basie and George Duvivier, duties she took very seriously. She also participated in local community activities, particularly at St. Alban's Congregational Church.

An intelligent, friendly and stunningly attractive woman, Mrs. Hinton was a familiar and much loved presence in the worldwide jazz scene. Her husband was an accomplished photographer as well as a master bassist, but she also had a photographic claim to fame, taking the only movie in existence of the 1958 Esquire Magazine photo shoot of jazz greats in Harlem. The footage later was used in Jean Bach's acclaimed film A Great Day in Harlem and is a treasured piece of jazz history.

Mona Hinton is survived by her daughter, Charlotte Hinton-Morgan; a granddaughter Inez Mona Morgan; a great grandson Kamyron William Morgan, all of Atlanta; her sister, Mary Louise Bellamy of Sandusky, Ohio, and numerous nieces and nephews. Her many friends span the globe.

Noted Chicago Reedman Franz Jackson Dies at 95

by Leslie Johnson

Franz Jackson, 95, one of the last survivors of the pre-Swing era, died May 6 in Niles, Mich. He had a remarkable career that spanned more than seven decades, and he remained active until shortly before his death.

Born Nov. 1, 1912, in Rock Island, Ill., Jackson was only 16 when he played his first professional gig in 1929 with stride pianist Albert Ammons. He was born at the right time, learning Chicago jazz from its originators, playing in the 1930s and 1940s with such jazz greats as Carroll Dickerson, Jimmie Noone, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Cab Calloway, Roy Eldridge and countless others. Though he is most often thought of as a Chicago musician, he played and lived in New York and Sweden between his tenures in Chicago, replacing Ben Webster in Henderson's and Eldridge's bands and composing and arranging for Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway and Jack Teagarden.

In the late 1940s, Jackson formed a USO band, touring U.S. troups abroad. Later, in 1957, he led the Original Jass All-Stars, playing a 10-year stint at the Red Arrow nightclub in Stickney, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. One of Chicago's most popular bandleaders, he recorded seven albums on Pinnacle Recordings, his own record label and he toured the world with his band. His popularity was based not just on his exceptional talent as a tenor saxophonist and clarinetist but also on his charismatic personality and expertise as a vocalist.

Jackson was an amazing man, always open to new experiences and new avenues of learning. He composed, became an accomplished arranger, achieved black belt status in Tae Kwan Do when he was 76, and studied Oriental philosophy. He believed in passing his knowledge on to music students at such institutions as Columbia College, the University of Notre Dame, Southwestern Michigan Collge, Bethel College and Valparaiso University, and he received many awards for his contributions to the music industry. In 2005, he was honored as one of the five world's greatest living jazz saxophonists by the American Heritage Jazz Series, and, in May of this year, he posthumously received the Making History award from the Chicago History Museum,  honoring him as a history-making Chicagoan. His daughter, Michelle Jewell, accepted the award as a memorial to her father.

Jackson's appearances throughout his long career were numerous and varied. Besides leading his own bands, he played for many years as a valued member of Jim Beebe's Chicago Jazz Band, guest-starred at many festivals and events in the U.S., Europe, and Israel and appeared on top radio shows. He made friends worldwide. A detailed look at his life was presented in the December 2007 issue of The Mississippi Rag.

Jackson was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia, whom he married June 1, 1959,  in Chicago. His survivors include his daughter Michelle Jewell, Niles, Mich., his son, Robert Jackson, Dowagiac, Mich., and six grandchildren. A celebration of his life was held May 24th at the Apostolic Lighthouse Church in Dowagiac, Mich.  

June 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.