EARL HINES AND HIS ORCHESTRA

Biography

Earl Hines, born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania in 1903, was a pioneering jazz pianist and bandleader whose innovative approach helped shape the sound of big band, swing, and early bebop. Initially trained on trumpet by his father, Hines switched to piano as a child, developing a distinctive style characterized by trumpet-like right-hand lines and a rhythmically adventurous left hand. After moving to Chicago in the early 1920s, he became a central figure in the city’s vibrant jazz scene, collaborating with Louis Armstrong and recording landmark sessions such as 'West End Blues' and 'Weather Bird.'

In 1928, Hines formed his own big band, Earl Hines and His Orchestra, which became the resident ensemble at Chicago’s Grand Terrace Ballroom for over a decade. His orchestra was renowned for its musicianship and for launching the careers of future jazz stars, including Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker. Hines’s willingness to embrace new styles kept his music relevant, and his band was among the first to experiment with bebop, though the 1943-44 recording ban prevented this era from being documented. After disbanding his orchestra in 1948, Hines toured with Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars and later led small groups, remaining an influential performer until his death in 1983.

Hines’s legacy is profound: his rhythmic innovations and melodic inventiveness influenced generations of jazz pianists, and his leadership nurtured some of the most important voices in jazz history. He is remembered as a bridge between early jazz, swing, and modern jazz, and as a key architect of the big band sound.

Fun Facts

• Earl Hines was nicknamed 'Fatha' by a radio announcer, a moniker that stuck for the rest of his career.
• His orchestra was the first major African-American big band to tour the segregated South in 1931.
• In 1943, Hines hired an all-female orchestra for a brief period when many male musicians were drafted during World War II.
• Despite leading a band that included Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, no recordings exist of Hines’s legendary bebop orchestra due to the 1943–44 musicians’ strike.

Members

• Wallace Bishop
• Gus Chappell - trombone
• Lawrence Dixon
• Alex Hill
• Earl Hines
• Kenneth Stuart
• Toby Turner - reeds

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Earl Hines's father (Joseph Hines) - His father was a cornetist and bandleader who introduced Earl to music and initially taught him trumpet before he switched to piano. (N/A) [1903–1910s]
• Lois Deppe - Early employer and mentor; Hines made his first recordings with Deppe's band. (Recordings with Lois Deppe's Symphonian Serenaders) [1922]

Key Collaborators

• Louis Armstrong - Close friend and frequent collaborator; recorded together and played in Carroll Dickerson’s Orchestra and on Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven sessions. (‘West End Blues’, ‘Weather Bird’, ‘Fireworks’, ‘Basin Street Blues’) [1920s]
• Billy Eckstine - Vocalist in Hines’s orchestra; later became a major bandleader. (‘Jelly, Jelly’, ‘Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues’) [1939–1943]
• Sarah Vaughan - Hired by Hines as both singer and pianist; her first major professional engagement. (Performances with Hines’s orchestra) [1943–1944]
• Dizzy Gillespie - Trumpeter in Hines’s orchestra during its bebop phase. (Unrecorded performances with Hines’s bebop band) [1943–1944]
• Charlie Parker - Played tenor saxophone in Hines’s orchestra during its bebop era. (Unrecorded performances with Hines’s bebop band) [1943–1944]
• Omer Simeon - Clarinetist and alto saxophonist in Hines’s orchestra. (Performances and recordings with Hines’s band) [1930s]
• Trummy Young - Trombonist in Hines’s orchestra. (Performances and recordings with Hines’s band) [1930s]

Artists Influenced

• Nat King Cole - Cited Hines as a major influence on his piano style. (Cole’s early trio recordings) [1930s–1940s]
• Art Tatum - Acknowledged Hines’s influence on his approach to jazz piano. (Tatum’s solo piano works) [1930s–1950s]
• Jay McShann - Influenced by Hines’s rhythmic and melodic innovations. (McShann’s piano recordings) [1930s–1940s]
• Jess Stacy - Inspired by Hines’s piano technique. (Stacy’s recordings with Benny Goodman) [1930s–1940s]
• Joe Sullivan - Influenced by Hines’s style. (Sullivan’s solo piano work) [1930s–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
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #big-band, #jazz, #swing