Hickey, Joan | University of Illinois Archives

Name: Hickey, Joan

Historical Note: Joan Hickey is a jazz pianist in Chicago. Hickey began attending the University of Illinois in 1974. She did not begin performing jazz until her senior year. After graduating in 1978 with her B.S. in music education, Hickey performed locally at Nature's Table alongside Ron Dewar, Marlene Rosenberg, and Joel Spencer. In the mid-1980s, she moved to Chicago, leading a sextet with vocalist Suzanne Palmer. Hickey began performing at the annual summer Jazz Festival soon after, performing with individuals like Cab Calloway, Milt Hinton, J.C. Heard, and Jonah Jones. In 1994, she became a lecturer in the jazz area at the University of Illinois. She has since released two CDs, Soulmates (1998) and Between the Lines (2006). Throughout this period, Hickey performed regularly with Dennis Carroll, Joel Spencer, Jeff Helgesen, Dana Hall, and Tito Carrillo. She has earned two National Endowment for the Arts grants and an Illinois Arts Council grant for her jazz compositions and performances. She earned her masters in music in 2014. Hickey maintains a private studio in Wilmette, Il.

Sources: All About Jazz Bio at, https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/joan-hickey/

Note Author: Nolan Vallier