This is one of my favorite conversations with one of MY inspirations as a musician and person, jazz pianist John Eaton who passed away May 24, 2026, just shy of his 92nd birthday.

John was one of the last of a generation of pianists influenced deeply by the early jazz greats—Fats Waller and Art Tatum—as well as later pianists like Bill Evans. He was an educator and raconteur, making the following conversation one of my most enjoyable.

John Eaton was an old friend from my early days in New York City. This chat gave me a wonderful opportunity to revisit that time and some of the events that shaped John’s music and mine.