Earl Hines and Cozy Cole

Biography

Earl Kenneth Hines, known as Earl "Fatha" Hines, was born in 1901 and became one of the most influential jazz pianists of all time. He revolutionized piano playing in jazz by developing his trademark "trumpet-style" piano technique, which involved playing ringing octaves with his right hand to mimic the sound of a trumpet. This innovative approach was inspired by trumpeter Joe Smith and fundamentally changed how jazz piano would be played. In 1922, at age 17, Hines joined Lois B. Deppe's band in Pittsburgh, which became his first steady job earning $15 per week. This band made history as the first Black orchestra to have their music played on the radio in 1921. After moving to Chicago in the mid-1920s, Hines became a central figure in the city's vibrant jazz scene, working with Carroll Dickerson's Orchestra and forming crucial musical partnerships that would define his career.

Hines's most productive and creatively significant period came in 1928, when he recorded extensively with clarinetist Jimmy Noone and began his legendary collaborations with Louis Armstrong. Together, Armstrong and Hines created some of the most renowned records in jazz history, including the famous trumpet and piano duet "Weather Bird." Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Hines led his own big band, which became a breeding ground for bebop innovation and launched the careers of numerous jazz legends including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Billy Eckstine. Duke Ellington later acknowledged that "the seeds of bop were in Earl Hines's piano style." In 1948, Hines joined Louis Armstrong's All-Stars, though he left in 1951 feeling constrained by Armstrong's musical approach. After a period of relative obscurity in the late 1950s, Hines experienced a remarkable career renaissance beginning in 1964 when he was booked for solo concerts at the Little Theatre in New York, leading to 19 years of intensive touring, recording over 100 albums, and collaborating with jazz luminaries worldwide.

William Randolph "Cozy" Cole was born on October 17, 1909, and became a pioneering jazz drummer who broke significant racial barriers in American music. Cole was the first Black musician hired on a network musical staff when CBS radio employed him to work with Raymond Scott in 1943. Throughout his long career, Cole worked as a sideman for major bandleaders including Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, and Louis Armstrong, and he was featured in the 1943 Broadway show "Carmen Jones" with his name on the program—a rare honor for a drummer at that time. In 1944, Cole collaborated with Benny Goodman leading a small group at the Onyx Club in New York, and in 1953, he co-founded The Krupa And Cole Drum School with Gene Krupa. Cole remained active throughout the 1960s and 1970s, reuniting with longtime friend Jonah Jones for touring and recording. He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Musical Arts from Capital University in 1978 and later earned a degree in lecturer studies from the same institution.

Fun Facts

• In 1922, Lois B. Deppe's band, which included the young Earl Hines, became the first Black orchestra to have their music played on the radio—a groundbreaking achievement in American broadcasting history.
• Earl Hines and Louis Armstrong's trio played regularly at the Cafe Sunset, a club frequented by gangsters, until the club closed and the trio disbanded.
• Cozy Cole was the first Black musician hired on a network musical staff when CBS radio employed him to work with Raymond Scott in 1943, breaking significant racial barriers in American music.
• Cozy Cole claimed to be 'the only drummer to have been featured in a big Broadway show with his name on the program' when he performed in the 1943 stage show 'Carmen Jones' with a wildly rhythmic drum solo.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Joe Smith - Trumpeter who was the major influence behind Hines's innovative trumpet-style piano playing technique (Influenced Hines's overall stylistic development) [1920s]
• Eubie Blake - Well-known pianist of the time who encouraged Hines to move to Chicago (Career guidance and relocation advice) [Early 1920s]
• Raymond Scott - Employer and collaborator who worked with Cozy Cole at CBS radio; Scott later praised Cole as 'the most professional musician I've ever worked with' (CBS radio musical staff work) [1943]

Key Collaborators

• Louis Armstrong - Legendary trumpeter with whom Hines formed a musical trio and created some of the most renowned records in jazz history ("Weather Bird" (trumpet and piano duet), multiple recordings totaling 38 sides together, Louis Armstrong All-Stars) [1927-1928, 1948-1951]
• Jimmy Noone - Clarinetist whose band Hines joined at the Apex Club; they recorded extensively together (14 recorded sides in 1928 with Noone's quintet) [1928]
• Benny Carter - Saxophonist with whom Hines created his own band at age 18; also worked with Cozy Cole early in Cole's career (Early band formation, Benny Carter's first band) [1920s]
• Cab Calloway - Bandleader who employed Cozy Cole as a sideman throughout his career (Sideman work with Calloway's orchestra) [Mid-1940s and beyond]
• Benny Goodman - Collaborated with Cozy Cole leading a small group at the Onyx Club in New York (Small group performances and recordings at the Onyx Club) [1944]
• Gene Krupa - Drummer who co-founded The Krupa And Cole Drum School with Cozy Cole (The Krupa And Cole Drum School) [1953]
• Jonah Jones - Longtime friend of Cozy Cole with whom he reunited to tour and record; they had played together in early days with Stuff Smith and Cab Calloway (Touring and recording projects) [1960s-1970s]
• Jack Teagarden - Trombonist who toured Europe alongside Earl Hines and Cozy Cole; also worked with Hines in Louis Armstrong All-Stars (European tours, Armstrong All-Stars) [1940s-1950s]

Artists Influenced

• Dizzy Gillespie - Bebop pioneer whose career was fostered by Hines's big band (Hines big band) [1940s]
• Charlie Parker - Jazz legend whose career was fostered by Hines's big band; Hines's piano style influenced bebop development (Hines big band, bebop innovation) [1940s]
• Billy Eckstine - Singer who became the regular vocalist in Hines's band and had his career fostered by Hines (Hines big band as regular vocalist) [1940]
• Teddy Wilson - Pianist influenced by Hines's innovative piano style (Piano style influence) [1930s-1940s]
• Nat King Cole - Pianist and vocalist influenced by Hines's piano approach (Piano style influence) [1930s-1940s]
• Duke Ellington - Jazz master who acknowledged that 'the seeds of bop were in Earl Hines's piano style' (Bebop stylistic influence) [1940s]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Boogie Woogie On St. Louis Blues (The Very Best Of Boogie Woogie)
2. Skylark (Stardust Melody)
3. Call Me Happy (Classic Earl Hines Sessions (1928-1945) - Vol. 5 & 6)
4. Up Jumped the Devil (Classic Earl Hines Sessions (1928-1945) - Vol. 5 & 6)
5. Riff Medley (Classic Earl Hines Sessions (1928-1945) - Vol. 5 & 6)
6. Ridin' And Jivin' (Afternoon Tunes)
7. Lightly and Politely (Classic Earl Hines Sessions (1928-1945) - Vol. 5 & 6)
8. Number 19 (Classic Earl Hines Sessions (1928-1945) - Vol. 5 & 6)
9. You Can Depend On Me (Treasury Of Jazz)
10. Ridin' and Jivin' (Essential Classics, Vol. 830: Earl Hines & His Orchestra)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia