By January 14, 2021
On any given day or night over the past sixty years, Bill Hanna could be found somewhere in Charlotte, sharing the music he loved. A teacher, musician, bandleader, and ringleader, he was a true force of nature — deeply rooted and always reaching outward so others could grow alongside him.
From the beginning, Hanna’s life was rooted in music. Proficient in both piano and trombone, he toured the country with Woody Herman’s Herd, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and the Stan Kenton Orchestra. His heart, however, remained in Charlotte — and in teaching. Hanna began teaching in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system in 1960. After retiring in 1990, he returned to the classroom at CPCC to continue sharing his passion.
“If you play jazz, you will eventually know that you are never going to master it. You keep learning it until you die,” Hanna once said. “The more you know, the more there is to know.”
Hanna was always restless — constantly thinking, organizing, and playing music. He believed that Charlotte could become a mecca for jazz: a home for a city full of talented musicians, built one person at a time, one gig at a time.
Hanna led by example — and that meant leading on stage. He played shows at The Cellar, Cajun Queen, with his Vintage Dance Band at Grand Central Station, Tuesday nights at the Double Door, Thursday nights at Jack Straw’s, and Sunday nights at Petra’s. He performed music of all styles and colors, always returning to jazz. Along the way, Bill earned the nickname “The Godfather of Charlotte Jazz.” Young musicians learned from him and developed their own voices — and Bill encouraged that. Play, learn, get better, and grow.
“Bill Hanna took me under his wing when I couldn’t even read music,” acclaimed Charlotte saxophonist Adrian Crutchfield posted Thursday morning. “At age 14, he let me join his jazz improv class for free. Called me on my bull when I needed [it], and let me slide when I make mistakes.”
Last year, Middle C Jazz hosted an appreciation show and jam session for Hanna. The Ziad Jazz Quartet, Airstream, Doug Henry, Tyrone Jefferson, A Sign of the Times, and the David Pankey Trio performed that night — all friends, students, and fellow musicians. Sixty years after Bill Hanna began teaching, a show in his honor sold out Charlotte’s newest jazz venue.
Hanna’s passing at age 88 leaves his friends and fans reflecting on his life and legacy. Taking stock of someone’s journey — when that person rarely paused to do so himself — can feel unusual. But somewhere tonight, the music plays on. And that’s exactly what Bill Hanna always wanted: to learn, grow, and keep playing.
Bill Hanna’s legacy extends beyond his music. It lives in the musicians shaped by his influence. As he once said, building a jazz mecca happens ‘one student at a time.’ Through its ongoing echoes, the music and teachings of Bill Hanna live on — for all the seasons to come.
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