Earl Hines & His Quartet • ''Fatha'' Blows Best

 

Biography by Scott Yanow
Once called "the first modern jazz pianist," Earl Hines differed from the stride pianists of the 1920s by breaking up the stride rhythms with unusual accents from his left hand. While his right hand often played octaves so as to ring clearly over ensembles, Hines had the trickiest left hand in the business, often suspending time recklessly but without ever losing the beat. One of the all-time great pianists, Hines was a major influence on Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy, Joe Sullivan, Nat King Cole, and even to an extent on Art Tatum. He was also an underrated composer responsible for "Rosetta," "My Monday Date," and "You Can Depend on Me," among others.

Earl Hines played trumpet briefly as a youth before switching to piano. His first major job was accompanying vocalist Lois Deppe, and he made his first recordings with Deppe and his orchestra in 1922. The following year, Hines moved to Chicago where he worked with Sammy Stewart and Erskine Tate's Vendome Theatre Orchestra. He started teaming up with Louis Armstrong in 1926, and the two masterful musicians consistently inspired each other. Hines worked briefly in Armstrong's big band (formerly headed by Carroll Dickerson), and they unsuccessfully tried to manage their own club. 1928 was one of Hines' most significant years. He recorded his first ten piano solos, including versions of "A Monday Date," "Blues in Thirds," and "57 Varieties." Hines worked much of the year with Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, and their recordings are also considered classic. Hines cut brilliant (and futuristic) sides with Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, resulting in such timeless gems as "West End Blues," "Fireworks," "Basin Street Blues," and their remarkable trumpet-piano duet "Weather Bird." And on his birthday on December 28, Hines debuted with his big band at Chicago's Grand Terrace.

A brilliant ensemble player as well as soloist, Earl Hines would lead big bands for the next 20 years. Among the key players in his band throughout the 1930s were trumpeter/vocalist Walter Fuller, Ray Nance on trumpet and violin (prior to joining Duke Ellington), trombonist Trummy Young, tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson, Omer Simeon and Darnell Howard on reeds, and arranger Jimmy Mundy. In 1940, Billy Eckstine became the band's popular singer, and in 1943 (unfortunately during the musicians' recording strike), Hines welcomed such modernists as Charlie Parker (on tenor), trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and singer Sarah Vaughan in what was the first bebop orchestra. By the time the strike ended, Eckstine, Parker, Gillespie, and Vaughan were gone, but tenor Wardell Gray was still around to star with the group during 1945 and 1946.

In 1948, the economic situation forced Hines to break up his orchestra. He joined the Louis Armstrong All-Stars, but three years of playing second fiddle to his old friend were difficult to take. After leaving Armstrong in 1951, Hines moved to Los Angeles and later San Francisco, heading a Dixieland band. Although his style was much more modern, Hines kept the group working throughout the 1950s, at times featuring Muggsy Spanier, Jimmy Archey, and Darnell Howard. Hines did record on a few occasions, but was largely forgotten in the jazz world by the early '60s. Then, in 1964, jazz writer Stanley Dance arranged for him to play three concerts at New York's Little Theater, both solo and in a quartet with Budd Johnson. The New York critics were amazed by Hines' continuing creativity and vitality, and he had a major comeback that lasted through the rest of his career. Hines traveled the world with his quartet, recorded dozens of albums, and remained famous and renowned up until his death at the age of 79.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/earl-hines-mn0000455522#biography

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Biografía de Scott Yanow
Llamado en su día "el primer pianista de jazz moderno", Earl Hines se diferenciaba de los pianistas de stride de los años 20 por romper los ritmos de stride con acentos inusuales de su mano izquierda. Mientras que su mano derecha solía tocar octavas para sonar con claridad en los conjuntos, Hines tenía la mano izquierda más complicada del negocio, a menudo suspendiendo el tiempo de forma temeraria pero sin perder nunca el compás. Hines, uno de los mejores pianistas de todos los tiempos, ejerció una gran influencia sobre Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy, Joe Sullivan, Nat King Cole e incluso, en cierta medida, sobre Art Tatum. También fue un compositor infravalorado, responsable de "Rosetta", "My Monday Date" y "You Can Depend on Me", entre otras.

Earl Hines tocó brevemente la trompeta en su juventud antes de pasarse al piano. Su primer trabajo importante fue acompañar a la vocalista Lois Deppe, e hizo sus primeras grabaciones con Deppe y su orquesta en 1922. Al año siguiente, Hines se trasladó a Chicago, donde trabajó con Sammy Stewart y la Vendome Theatre Orchestra de Erskine Tate. Empezó a formar equipo con Louis Armstrong en 1926, y los dos magistrales músicos no dejaron de inspirarse mutuamente. Hines trabajó brevemente en la big band de Armstrong (anteriormente dirigida por Carroll Dickerson), e intentaron sin éxito gestionar su propio club. 1928 fue uno de los años más significativos para Hines. Grabó sus primeros diez solos de piano, incluyendo versiones de "A Monday Date", "Blues in Thirds" y "57 Varieties". Hines trabajó gran parte del año con la Apex Club Orchestra de Jimmy Noone, y sus grabaciones también se consideran clásicas. Hines grabó brillantes (y futuristas) temas con los Hot Five de Louis Armstrong, que dieron como resultado joyas intemporales como "West End Blues", "Fireworks", "Basin Street Blues" y su extraordinario dúo de trompeta y piano "Weather Bird". Y el día de su cumpleaños, el 28 de diciembre, Hines debutó con su big band en la Grand Terrace de Chicago.

Earl Hines, brillante intérprete de conjuntos y solista, dirigiría big bands durante los 20 años siguientes. Entre los músicos clave de su banda a lo largo de la década de 1930 se encontraban el trompetista/vocalista Walter Fuller, Ray Nance a la trompeta y al violín (antes de unirse a Duke Ellington), el trombonista Trummy Young, el saxofonista tenor Budd Johnson, Omer Simeon y Darnell Howard a las cañas, y el arreglista Jimmy Mundy. En 1940, Billy Eckstine se convirtió en el cantante popular de la banda, y en 1943 (desgraciadamente durante la huelga de grabación de los músicos), Hines dio la bienvenida a modernistas como Charlie Parker (al tenor), el trompetista Dizzy Gillespie y la cantante Sarah Vaughan en lo que fue la primera orquesta bebop. Cuando terminó la huelga, Eckstine, Parker, Gillespie y Vaughan ya no estaban, pero el tenor Wardell Gray seguía con el grupo durante 1945 y 1946.

En 1948, la situación económica obligó a Hines a disolver su orquesta. Se unió a los Louis Armstrong All-Stars, pero tres años de ser el segundo plato de su viejo amigo fueron difíciles de soportar. Tras dejar a Armstrong en 1951, Hines se trasladó a Los Ángeles y más tarde a San Francisco, al frente de una banda de Dixieland. Aunque su estilo era mucho más moderno, Hines mantuvo el grupo en activo durante toda la década de 1950, en ocasiones con Muggsy Spanier, Jimmy Archey y Darnell Howard. Hines grabó en algunas ocasiones, pero a principios de los 60 había caído en el olvido en el mundo del jazz. En 1964, el escritor de jazz Stanley Dance le organizó tres conciertos en el Little Theater de Nueva York, tanto en solitario como en cuarteto con Budd Johnson. Los críticos neoyorquinos quedaron asombrados por la continua creatividad y vitalidad de Hines, que tuvo un gran regreso que duró el resto de su carrera. Hines viajó por todo el mundo con su cuarteto, grabó docenas de álbumes y siguió siendo famoso y reconocido hasta su muerte, a los 79 años.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/earl-hines-mn0000455522#biography

Tracklist:
1. The One I Love
2. I Love My Baby
3. Nobody Knows (And Nobody Seems To Care)
4. Saturday
5. You're Mine, You!
6. Thinking Of You
7. For Me And My Gal
8. Shine On Harvest Moon
9. Back In Your Own Back Yard
10. Everything Depends On You
11. Rhythm Sundae

Credits:
    Bass – Bill Pemberton
    Drums – Oliver Jackson
    Liner Notes – Stanley Dance
    Photography By – Marc Brody
    Piano – Earl "Fatha" Hines
    Producer – Milt Gabler
    Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Budd Johnson
    Trumpet – Buck Clayton

Notes
Recorded 8th and 11th of March, 1968, New York City.
Label:    Decca – DL 75048
Released:    Nov 1968
Genre:    Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/3314185-Earl-Hines-And-His-Quartet-Fatha-Blows-Best

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