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Earl Hines

A brilliant keyboard virtuoso, Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the first great piano soloists in jazz, and one of the very few musicians who could hold his own with Louis Armstrong. His so-called 'trumpet' style used doubled octaves in the right hand to produce a clear melodic line that stood out over the sound of a whole band, but he also had a magnificent technical command of the entire range of the keyboard.

Earl Kenneth Hines was born into a musical family in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, on December 28, 1905. His father worked as a foreman at the local coal docks and played cornet with the Eureka Brass Band, a group that performed at picnics and dances. His mother, played organ and gave him his first piano lessons. Hines's sister, Nancy, also played organ, and his brother, Boots, played piano; his aunt sang light opera and his uncle played a variety of brass instruments. At age nine Hines started taking piano lessons, but he soon outgrew his teacher. He then studied classical technique under Von Holz, a teacher who introduced him to exercise books, and began to dream of becoming a concert pianist.

In his teens Hines moved to Pittsburgh, where he attended Schenley High School and continued to study music. His musical direction changed abruptly when family members took Hines to the Liederhouse, a club featuring jazz, and he fell in love with the rhythm-filled music. After discovering the burgeoning jazz scene, he abandoned his plans to play classical music and immersed himself in jazz. At age 15 he formed a group with a violinist and drummer, and soon the trio was performing at high school functions, nightclubs, and church socials. Because Hines worked many late-night engagements, he decided to leave school when he was 16.

In 1922 Hines went to work with singer/band leader Lois B. Deppe at the Liederhouse, where he earned $15 a week. The band made forays into West Virginia, Ohio, and New York City, and in 1923 the young pianist traveled to Richmond, Indiana, where he attended his first recording session. In 1924 Hines led his own band for a short time and then, following the advice of pianist Eubie Blake, he moved to Chicago. In Chicago he met a cadre of first-class musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, and Benny Goodman, who were beginning to re-write the rules of jazz. In 1927 he joined with Armstrong and Zutty Singleton, and the trio performed a regular gig at the Café Sunset, an establishment that catered to gangsters and other high-dollar rollers. When the club temporarily closed in 1927, the band broke up and Hines joined clarinetist Jimmy Noone's band at the Apex Club. Armstrong, however, would soon call again, and together the old friends would make jazz history.

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Radio & Podcasts

Your Antidote to Obsessively Melancholy Music!

Read "Your Antidote to Obsessively Melancholy Music!" reviewed by Marc Cohn


Gifts & Messages is here to rescue you from depressing news and to cure what ails you! After a rollicking opening segment from Hank Crawford, Vanessa Rodrigues, Brice Winston and Leslie Odom Jr., we continue to celebrate Sonny Rollins -his first recordings with the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet. Then, it's the always sublime Stephane Grappelli, this time with piano giant Earl Hines for three tracks from an absolutely essential session. Once we get going with Earl, it's hard to stop: ...

7
Extended Analysis

Earl Hines: Piano Genius At Work

Read "Earl Hines: Piano Genius At Work" reviewed by Chris Mosey


This boxed set of seven CDs and one DVD pays tribute to Earl “Fatha" Hines, one of the most influential pianists in the history of jazz. From 1928, when he took over the piano stool in Louis Armstrong's band, through to the birth of bebop and modern jazz in the 1940s, when he fronted a big band that featured both Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Hines was up there on the cutting edge. He defied categorization, his ...

277
Album Review

Earl Hines: Once Upon A Time

Read "Once Upon A Time" reviewed by David Rickert


Upon listening to Once Upon A Time for the first time, you may have to glance at the cover to confirm that you aren’t listening to an Ellington album by mistake, for this session is littered with Ellington stalwarts like Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Paul Gonsalves, and Jimmy Hamilton. You may also do a double take when you notice that the rest of the rhythm section is comprised of mavericks Richard Davis and Elvin Jones.

Despite the ...

138
Album Review

Earl Hines: Live at The Party

Read "Live at The Party" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Earl Hines is considered in some quarters, including the most relevant quarter of pianists themselves, to be “the father of modern jazz piano."

Hines had a transitional style that took its main basis from swing but anticipated some important modern innovations. As such, being ahead of his time in some ways while firmly planted in the present in others, it took a while for Hines to get his due. But now he has been seen in retrospect as having been ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Earl Hines' birthday today!

A brilliant keyboard virtuoso, Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the first great piano soloists in jazz, and one of the very few musicians who could hold his own with Louis Armstrong. His so-called 'trumpet' style used doubled octaves in the right hand to produce a clear melodic line that stood out over the sound of a whole band, but he also had a magnificent technical command of the entire range ...

Recording

Backgrounder: Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines

Backgrounder: Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers


Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Earl Hines' birthday today!

A brilliant keyboard virtuoso, Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the first great piano soloists in jazz, and one of the very few musicians who could hold his own with Louis Armstrong. His so-called 'trumpet' style used doubled octaves in the right hand to produce a clear melodic line that stood out over the sound of a whole band, but he also had a magnificent technical command of the entire range ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Earl Hines' birthday today!

A brilliant keyboard virtuoso, Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the first great piano soloists in jazz, and one of the very few musicians who could hold his own with Louis Armstrong. His so-called 'trumpet' style used doubled octaves in the right hand to produce a clear melodic line that stood out over the sound of a whole band, but he also had a magnificent technical command of the entire range ...

Video / DVD

Paul Gonsalves Meets Earl Hines

Paul Gonsalves Meets Earl Hines

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves's centenary was over the weekend, on July 12. A romantic balladeer and gruff hard-charger, Gonsalves spent much of his career in the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1950 onward. On his small-group leadership and sideman sessions, Gonsalves often was paired with tiger musicians who could rise to the occasion and give as good as they got. Album mates included Clark Terry, Tubby Hayes, Sonny Stitt and Eddie “Lockjaw" Davis. One of the rare non-horn match-ups was Paul ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Earl Hines' birthday today!

A brilliant keyboard virtuoso, Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the first great piano soloists in jazz, and one of the very few musicians who could hold his own with Louis Armstrong. His so-called 'trumpet' style used doubled octaves in the right hand to produce a clear melodic line that stood out over the sound of a whole band, but he also had a magnificent technical command of the entire range ...

Music Industry

Doc: Earl "Fatha" Hines

Doc: Earl "Fatha" Hines

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Earl Hines revolutionized the piano in the 1930s and, with Art Tatum, remains jazz's mightiest player. His fearsome, trumpet-like octave attack incorporated all aspects of the jazz orchestra. Instead of cranking out machine-like syncopation on the keyboard, Hines's swing style gave the piano a personality free from the rhythm section and set the stage for the big band era. Here's a color documentary on the man they called “Fatha." It was filmed at the Blues Alley club in Washington, D.C., ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Earl Hines' birthday today!

A brilliant keyboard virtuoso, Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the first great piano soloists in jazz, and one of the very few musicians who could hold his own with Louis Armstrong. His so-called \'trumpet\' style used doubled octaves in the right hand to produce a clear melodic line that stood out over the sound of a whole band, but he also had a magnificent technical command of the entire range ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Earl Hines' birthday today!

A brilliant keyboard virtuoso, Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the first great piano soloists in jazz, and one of the very few musicians who could hold his own with Louis Armstrong. His so-called \'trumpet\' style used doubled octaves in the right hand to produce a clear melodic line that stood out over the sound of a whole band, but he also had a magnificent technical command of the entire range ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Jazz Musician of the Day: Earl Hines

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Earl Hines' birthday today!

A brilliant keyboard virtuoso, Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the first great piano soloists in jazz, and one of the very few musicians who could hold his own with Louis Armstrong. His so-called \'trumpet\' style used doubled octaves in the right hand to produce a clear melodic line that stood out over the sound of a whole band, but he also had a magnificent technical command of the entire range ...

Drew Nugent
multi-instrumentalist
Charlie Jennison
saxophone, alto

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Earl Hines: Piano...

Storyville Records
2016

buy

Once Upon A Time

Impulse! Records
2003

buy

Earl Hines '65 ...

Unknown label
2002

buy

Grand Terrace Shuffle

Warner Bros. Records
2001

buy

Live at The Party

Delmark Records
2001

buy

Videos

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