Willie Pickens was born 1931. He moved to Hyde Park from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1958. In 1959 he married Chicagoan Irma Burrell, his wife of 56 years. His contributions to the world of jazz and music education are immeasurable. The list of musicians with whom he performed is a veritable who’s who of the culture including, Elvin Jones, James Moody, Clark Terry, Max Roach, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Harris, Marian McPartland, Roy Hargrove, Quincy Jones, Bobby Hutcherson, and his daughter Bethany Pickens, to name a few. Pickens taught music in Chicago Public Schools for 25 years; he was the first Instrumental Music Teacher at Kenwood High School. Pickens was Professor of Jazz Improvisation for 17 years at the American Conservatory of Music. He was the Founding Director for Ravinia’s Jazz Scholars Program and a Professor of Jazz Piano at Northern Illinois University for 18 years. When Willie moved to Chicago, his plan was to spend a brief time here and move to New York. However, he quickly established himself as a “first-call” pianist in Chicago and decided to stay. Three years after he married Irma they began their Family. Their first-born Bethany, was followed two years later by David and then twelve years later by Kiron. Hyde Park remained his home until his death in New York just prior to sound check for a performance at Lincoln Center, 2017. His Wife Irma preceded him in death in 2015. Irma managed all things Pickens!