Sadik Hakim
Born Argonne Thornton in 1919, Sadik Hakim was an inventive musician, holding the piano chair in the bands of Ben Webster (1944), Charlie Parker (1945), Lester Young (1946-48), James Moody (1951-54) & Buddy Tate (1956-60). In the mid-60s, he moved to Montreal and later, on to Europe. I met him in Toronto in 1974, where he was scuffling, unable to crack the jazz oligarchy. I found him to be a quiet and introspective man, a thoughtful player who was less concerned with style than content. He died in New York on June 20, 1983.