Jake Hanna

Full name - John Hanna

Born - Apr 4, 1931 in Boston, MA

A superior drummer equally at ease driving a big band or playing in small mainstream combos, Jake Hanna has been a strong asset to a countless number of sessions. He started out playing locally in Boston and worked with Toshiko Akiyoshi (1957), Maynard Ferguson (1958), as the house drummer at Storyville in Boston, with Marian McPartland (1959-61) and most significantly with the Woody Herman Orchestra (1962-64). As a studio musician, he was a regular member of the Merv Griffin television program's big band (1964-75), moving with the show to Los Angeles (1970) where he is still based. Hanna co-led a group with Carl Fontana that recorded for Concord in 1975, played with Supersax and has since appeared on many mainstream and swing sessions, becoming a fixture at jazz parties and festivals. He has recorded many dates (mostly as a sideman) for Concord. By Scott Yanow  The All Music Guide