Hilton Ruiz

Hilton Ruiz (May 29, 1952 – June 6, 2006) was a Puerto Rican American jazz pianist in the Afro-Cuban jazz mold, but was also a talented bebop player.

Ruiz began playing piano at the age of eight, and gigged with Freddie Hubbard and Joe Newman when he was young. Later, he was Roland Kirk's main pianist from 1974 to 1977, featuring on such records as "The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color" and "The Return of the 5000 Lb. Man". Ruiz also recorded several solo albums between the 1980s and 2000s.

On May 19, 2006, Ruiz was found unconscious on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Police concluded that Ruiz stumbled and fell and was not attacked. [http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/library-103/114862331818280.xml?nola] As a result of the accident, Ruiz was in a coma and eventually died at the age of 54. Ruiz was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey. [Keepnews, Peter. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/arts/music/07ruiz.html "Hilton Ruiz, 54, Pianist Fluent In Jazz and Latin Rhythms"] , "The New York Times", June 7, 2006. Accessed November 4, 2007. "Hilton Ruiz, a versatile and prolific pianist equally at home in the worlds of modern jazz and Latin music, died yesterday in New Orleans. He was 54 and lived in Teaneck, N.J."]

Records

* 1975 Piano Man
* 1977 Excition
* 1977 Steppin' Into Beauty
* 1987 Something Grand
* 1988 El Camino
* 1989 Strut
* 1990 Doin' It Right
* 1991 A Moment's Notice
* 1992 Manhattan Mambo
* 1993 Heroes
* 1994 Hands on Percussion
* 1997 Island Eyes
* 2003 Enchantment
* 2004 New York Story
* 2005 Steppin' With TP - Dedicated to Tito Puente

References

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:yi0xlfje5cqy Allmusic.com entry]
* [http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20060606195526256 Pianist Hilton Ruiz Dies in New Orleans]
* [http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/artists/artist_page.php?id=3731 Biography at World Music Central] .