For half a century, JONES has been one of the most versatile and sought-after jazz pianists. He is the elder brother of Thad and Elvin Jones. Hank Jones grew up in Pontiac, Michigan, where he studied piano at an early age and came under the influence of the swing giants of that instrument.    Founder of the Detroit school of pianists. Playing in New York from the mid-40s, he also soon assimilated the new bop style. His mature and integrated combination of these early influences is the main grounding for his extremely tasteful and sophisticated playing making him a musician for all seasons. He is equally superb as a resilient soloist and as a sensitive and responsive accompanist.
   Hank Jones has worked with them all: Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Jazz at the Philharmonic, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Milt Jackson, Tommy Flanagan as well as in many non-jazz combinations - the list is almost endless. Several hundred record albums have been among the results. No wonder that for a long time it had been the Danish tenor Jesper Thilo's dream to develop an earlier encounter with Hank Jones. In Denmark the latter was also reunited with Al Foster, former fellow player in The Great Jazz Trio, a famous Hank Jones aggregation.