Who Killed Hilton Ruiz?

*Aurora
Communications*

For immediate release: May 31, 2006

_*NEWS ALERT! *_
Contact: Aurora Flores @ 212.876.1936

*Pianist Hilton Ruiz Passes this Morning*
*Latin music and Jazz artists get together for Hilton *
*
New York, NY -June 6, 2006- * Famed Puerto Rican/New York Composer,
Pianist and Jazz musician Hilton Ruiz passed away this morning at 3:51
a.m. at the East Jefferson General Hospital, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
He was still on life support when he peacefully expired. His daughter
and wife, both named Aida, were by his side.

Hilton Ruiz had been in a coma at the New Orleans hospital Intensive
Care Unit with severe trauma to the face and a fractured skull. The
circumstances surrounding this tragic incident are under investigation
by the New Orleans Police Department.

In the meanwhile, Ruiz' family and friends will celebrate his life and
music in a special, after-work benefit jam session will be held in
Hilton Ruiz' honor to assist the family with the medical and now funeral
expenses. Confirmed guest performers include *Zon del Barrio* (7 pm)
joined by saxophonist *Ivan Renta* & vocalist *Frankie Vasquez; Chembo
Corniel *and *Chaworo* (9 pm) and *Willie Martinez & "La Familia
Sextet"* (10 pm). Hilton Ruiz' music and videos will be playing.

*WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday June 6, 2006 @ 6 p.m. - 12 midnight Doors Open
@ 5 p.m.*

*LQ's*
* 511 Lexington Avenue (between 48th & 47th Streets)*
* New York, NY*

Suggested donation: $20

Other confirmed guest artists include the following:

*Luisito Quintero * Andrea Brachfeld * Robert Glasper,* Annette Aguilar
* Andy Gonzalez * Grady Tate * Papo Vasquez * Craig Harris * Grady Tate
* Pete Nader * Sweet Sue Terry * Mark Whitfield * Avery Sharpe * Terry
Burrus * Ben Lapidus * Bobby Sanabria * Dario Boente * Bill Sims, Jr. *
Ray Mantilla * Chaney Sims * Norman Hedman * Gary Bartz * Poet Papoleto*

Hilton Ruiz' music and videos will be playing.

Musicians wishing to participate in "A Benefit Jam Session for Hilton
Ruiz" should call Event organizer Eddie Rodriguez at 917-678-6695 or
email Eddie at eddierodriguez01@... to be placed on the Musicians
Guest list.

"This is a very sad day for Latin and jazz music" said promoter Eddie
Rodriguez. The question remains, how did something like this happen to
an Internationally known jazz artist in the City where Jazz was born?
We are urging all those who care to write letters to the Mayor of New
Orleans:

*Ray Nagin*
*Office of the Mayor*
*1300 Perdido St. #2E10*
*New Orleans, LA*
*504-658-4900 or 504-658-0900*
*or email Sally Forman at: sally.forman@...*

This event will help pay for the medical expenses as well as funeral and
burial costs involved with transporting Hilton to New York.

*Hilton Ruiz will be viewed on Monday, June 13, 2006 at the Barrett
Funeral Home located at 424 West 51st Street & Ninth Avenue. 212.265.0335*

Born in New York City on May 29, 1952, Ruiz was a child prodigy,
appearing on the Sandy Becker television show, performing at Carnegie
Recital Hall at the age of eight, and playing in an accordion symphony
at nine. Well-trained in all areas, he studied classical piano as well
as Latin and received jazz guidance from the great Mary Lou Williams. "I
was pretty lucky," he says, "in being exposed to a lot of different
kinds of music, and studying them with good teachers."

By his early teens, Ruiz was working with a variety of Latin soul bands
and, at age 14, recorded with a group called Ray Jay and the East
Siders. But jazz was always close to his heart, and his obviously
superlative improvisational skills quickly opened doors. Before he was
twenty, Ruiz had worked with Frank Foster, Joe Newman, Cal Massey,
Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson--an impressive list for an established
player, a remarkable list for a relative newcomer. Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Freddie Hubbard, Tito Puente, Clark Terry, Ismael Rivera, Mongo
Santamaria, George Coleman and so many others. He was a Student of the
Great Jazz Master, Mary Lou Williams.

*A short discography includes:*

2005 Tribute to Puente
2003 Enchantment
1997 Island Eyes
1994 Hands on Percussion
1993 Heroes
1993 Excitation
1992 Manhattan Mambo
1992 Live at Birdland
1991 A Moment's Notice
1989 Doin' It Right
1988 El Camino [The Road]
1988 Strut
1986 Something Grand
1984 Cross Currents
1981 Live at Jazz Unite
1977 New York Hilton
1977 Steppin' Into Beauty
1976 Rhythm in the House
1975 Piano Man

This event is sponsored by LQ's and Latin Works Music.
All donations are to be made payable to Aida Ruiz (check preferred).
For further information call: Latin Works Music 917-678-6695

A Message from Bobby Sanabria

Hi Ray(speaking to Ray Vega),

Through the efforts of congresswoman Nydia Velazquez
and congressman Jose' Serrano, all of the members of
the Hispanic Caucus are signing or have already signed
a letter/petition to this effect and it has been/or is
being delivered to Mayor Nagins forthwith. This is
according to Bob Sancho which you and I both know is a
mover and shaker in his position as head of Bronx
Lebanon Hospital. I agree with you totally, a civil
rights violation lawsuit has to be filed on Hilton's
behalf. This is going to be a long hard struggle, but
it must be done to achieve justice and closure.

There are other VIP's becoming involved in making sure
that this doesn't get swept under the rug. Maria
Hinojosa who used to work at CNN and is now working
for Bill Moyer's at PBS on his show NOW is also
becoming involved as are others like Wynton and Bill
Cosby who are pressuring the city. Geraldo Rivera
knows of the situation through Aurora's efforts and
she has also contacted other Hispanic media like
Univision and Telemundo who are gearing up to go down
to 'Nawlins to do an investigative report. I AGREE
WITH YOU TOTALLY my brother that the New Orleans
police department cannot be trusted. This is not to
disparage those of the NOPD who are honest, but the
history of corruption there is too well documented to
overlook. Along with the incredible devastation, it
looks like Mad Max and the Thunderdome down there.

From Joel Chriss who represents myself and Hilton -
the original lawyer that sent out the unauthorized
press release with the "Hilton fell on his face
theory" is best friends with the police chief of NO's.
The videotape showing Hilton staggering and passing
out shows him leaving Utopia. Therefore it must be
assumed that anything that happened to him, happened
inside that venue. Many of the bouncers that work
there are off duty police.

Due to the time it is taking to get the body back to
NYC, my biggest fear is that the coroner may also be
involved in a coverup. Knowing the unfortunate
checkered past and present and the lack of respect for
law in the Big Easy, it unfortunately isn't far
fetched. As you stated - it IS an outrage that the
family has not been given a definitive time as to when
the body will be sent to NYC.

I was at the Funeral parlor last night and saw Mario
Rivera, Ray Mantilla, David Sanchez, Jorge Castros,
Aurora, Joel Chriss, Katherine Stubblefield, Leon
Dorsey as well as many others. Donald Harrison called
form New Orleans. I knew the body was not going to be
there but arrived to pay my repects to Aida and her
daughter who received everyone. Just to re-iterate
Ray's asessment, this woman and her family have been
going through hell and it's not going to end anytime
soon. Those of you who can, attend tonight, pay your
respects and give this woman and their daughter some
strength and love. They are going to need it to
survive this ordeal. Also, please give donations. The
medical expenses they are incurring as well as the
legal fees are astronomical.

Hopefully all of us will recieve some answers this
week. One must realize that this is not an isolated
incident in NO's. Anti-immigration sentiment against
Hispanics down there is at a high point and beatings,
and who knows what else is going down there, is at a
rampant rate. As per Ray's initial and continuous
suggestions, call the mayor's office down there and
even though the Hispanic Caucus has been mobilized,
contact them as a constituent and let them know that
you are outraged in order to pursue the next step
which as Ray suggested a civil rights violation
investigation and lawsuit. It doesn't matter that one
may or may not be Hispanic. If they can do it to one
person and think they can get away with it, they can
do it to anyone. No one deserves to die this way.

'Some thoughts I had about Hilton that I was going to
relay to Mike Reyes privately but I figured I'd share
with all of you. Oh BTW, thanks for the B-day wishes
Mike.

I remember the first real record date I did after
college was with Mongo Santmaria. It was in the early
80's, an album called "Mongo Magic" on Roulette.
Hilton was on that album for a couple of tunes and we
also recorded one or two of his compositions. We did a
blues called Pirana that Marty Sheller had written. It
was at a very fast tempo and Hilton had the juice to
deliver the goods.

By that I mean, he REALLY was a jazz musician. I heard
it from the very first couple of bars. He knew the
vocabulary of bebop and its roots in the foundation of
jazz, the blues, as if it was his birthright. Most
people don't realize how steeped he was in THE
tradition of jazz. That he died in the birthplace of
jazz is truly something to ponder. He had a lot of
admirers in that world. A world which is deadly honest
when it comes to assessing ones talents in a genre
where one is judged on their knowledge of harmony,
repertoire, style, history of those who have come
before, technique and finally ones own style/identity
in that genre. In other words, you can't fake the
funk. Like Jorge Dalto, Hilton WAS the real deal.

Hilton knew the inticacies of jazz piano - stride,
boogie woogie, Chicago, Missisippi Delta, Texas, Kansa
City, St. Louis and Weesiana blues, conquered the bar
of harmonic virtousity that we call bebop and
deconstructed it as part of the avant garde movement.
Like all Nuyoricans, he had absorbed the African
American experience so well that it was/is part of his
being. That's the key ingredient that makes us
Nuyoricans. That's why most of Hilton's tunes have
some element of the blues in them. That background and
his musical talent led him to
playing/recording/touring with Rahsaan Roland Kirk at
the age of 17! Read that sentence again and soak it in
pilgrims. That in and of itself is an astounding
achievement.

Because Hilton was/is Hispanic, in particular of
Puerto Rican descent, that world (in the press and
occasionally the players) many times didn't give him
the time of day. There's a long history of this that
is undeniable. Don't be fooled by the occasional
review here and there. Probably more has been written
in this discussion group about jazz musicians that
happen to be Hispanic, particlarly 'of 'Rican descent,
than has ever been written in the entire history of
serious writing on jazz. It was an anomaly that Ray
Barretto and I discussed many times. Hence his
forthcoming "Standards Rican-Ditioned" work that
ironically features Hilton.

Over the years our paths would often cross socially
and professionally and the conversations (whether on a
plane or dressing room), and of course the playing,
was/were always exciting. Hilton was also a pretty
good pool and card player. :) About three years ago at
the Manhattan School of Music, we had him as a guest
soloist with the Afro-Cuban Jazz orchestra. I told him
to come early, if he wanted, to check out the piano.
He did get there early and we caught up with things.
For Hilton it was the beginning of a beautiful
transformation. He was dealing with his demons and he
was winning the battle. That sort of renewal was
making him do positive things, like really dealing
with the instrument again on a serious level. We
talked about that and I asked him what he was working
on. He proceeded to play Gershwin's "Rhapshody in
Blue", the famous piano arrangement/adaptation that
Gershwin himself did of his own monumental piece.

It was breathtaking to say the least.

But the demons Hilton was facing had unfortunately
returned and the city that gave birth to the art form
he had mastered, ironically claimed him in a brutal,
unjust way. As we all know, death is an inevitable
part of life. It can't be avoided. Of course it hurts
when one who is a friend, colleague, family member
leaves us. It can be overwhelming. But he didn't
deserve to go this way. I was overwhelmed driving home
from the funeral parlor. It beez' that way sometimes,
it just hits you.

RIP Hilton. I'm sure you, Fats Waller and George
Gershwin are having a goof playing some stride and
talkin some jive'. It's just as it should be. A
Brother, a Jew and a Freakin' Nuyorican playing the
blues. That thought, just puts a big smile on my face.
:)

Ache',
Bobby Sanabria