[Dixielandjazz] Hilton Ruiz injured in New Orleans

[Steve barbone]

Hot off the wire at nola.com

Cheers,
Steve Barbone


Jazz pianist is in local hospital
It's not known how he became injured
Wednesday, May 24, 2006 By Bob Ussery Staff writer

Internationally known jazz pianist and composer Hilton Ruiz was in critical
condition Tuesday night in the intensive care unit of East Jefferson General
Hospital amid unconfirmed rumors he was injured on or near Bourbon Street.

Ruiz's wife, Aida, said Tuesday her Manhattan-born husband, who lives in New
Jersey, came to New Orleans on Thursday.

She said she could not provide further details, but their daughter was
preparing a news release.

New Orleans police information officers said they were aware of Ruiz's
condition only through the inquiries they received from news organizations.

Police spokespersons Bambi Hall and Garry Flot said they were not
immediately able to locate records of any incident involving Ruiz.

Valerie Englade, spokeswoman for East Jefferson hospital, said
confidentiality regulations prevented her from saying when he was admitted
to the hospital.

Aida Ruiz, who was at East Jefferson on Tuesday, said her husband is
internationally renowned and has won numerous awards, including the
Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for outstanding and
invaluable service to the community in 2002.

"He is just loved by the world," she said. "People love the way he plays the
piano." She said in addition to producing many successful instrumental
records, her husband is a composer and arranger.

She said he was a prodigy who played his first concert as a child on the
piano at Carnegie Hall.

In addition to Afro-Cuban jazz, she said, Ruiz plays "every style you can
think of: be-bop, boogie-woogie, blues."

The Web site hiltonruizmusiccorporation.com said Ruiz has performed on more
than 500 recordings, including 30 as leader. He has worked with Rahsaan
Roland Kirk, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Dizzy Gillespie, Abbey Lincoln,
David "Fathead" Newman, Chico Freeman, Bill Cosby, Marion Brown, Ray
Barretto, Dave Valentin and Geovanni Hidalgo, the Web site said.

He also composed music for movies.