Earl Hines

Some musicians are very closely associated with the name of Duke Ellington because they played in his orchestra for most of their career. Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney are obvious examples, and another is Ray Nance, whose violin lent the orchestra a touch of class. The tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves may only have been with Ellington for a relatively short time, but for the Duke, he and his mammoth solo in "Diminuendo And Crescendo in Blue" at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival were a fresh start after years of stagnation. Despite their close links with the Ellington orchestra, many of its musicians kept forming their own bands and cutting records with them. Paul Gonsalves and Ray Nance went into the studio with their sextet and played with the backing of a mainstream rhythm group and another wind player they knew from the Ellington orchestra…

The two 1957 sessions that make up this CD featuring Earl Hines with a pickup rhythm section in Paris were recorded originally for Phillips, with bassist Guy Pedersen and drummer Gus Wallez. The pianist is in top form, including just a little of the Dixieland repertoire ("Royal Garden Blues" and "Muskrat Ramble") that typically dominated most of his recordings made in the U.S. during this period, and spending more time exploring favorite warhorses like "Hallelujah" and "Makin' Whoopee," as well as already classic jazz compositions such as "If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight" and "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)." While the tracks are generally brief, the music is consistently swinging at a high level and four bonus tracks have been added to the CD reissue, so it should be considered an essential purchase for fans of Earl "Fatha" Hines.

Earl Hines is in great form during this 1970 studio session with bassist Larry Richardson and drummer Richie Goldberg. Four of the six tracks are standards which the pianist played many times during his long career, including a lively "Them There Eyes," a rather wild "There Is No Greater Love," and a striding solo interpretation of "You're Driving Me Crazy" that showcases Hines' formidable technique. Don Redman's moody "If It's True" had long since become an obscurity by the time of this recording, but Hines' subtle performance is a masterpiece. His one original is the brisk, foot-tapping boogie-woogie "Snugly but Ugly."

Clifford Hayes & Earl Hines - Frog Hop (1996) {Frog DGF10 rec 1927-29}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 295 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 187 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 14 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1927-29, 1996 Frog / David French | DGF10
Jazz / Early Jazz / Jazz Blues

The Frog label has long been a byword for the meticulous compilation of outstanding rarities, and this reissue is no exception. Clifford Hayes' Louisville Stompers presented a fascinating blend of country blues and jazz, featuring trombone, violin, 4-string tenor guitar and piano. Earl Hines is at the ivories for the 1929 sesssions, of which unissued takes are included for each of the eight tracks. The 25 tracks are augmented by the vocal by Sippie Wallace which the Louisville Stompers accompanied on their final recording session. The reissue was remastered by the late John R. T. Davies from his own collection. Enough said.

At the time of these recordings, Hines was in the process of re-igniting his once potent and inventive big band of the mid-'30s. And while he and his cohorts hadn't completely dropped off the quality scale - Hines' solos, of course, always remained hot - the group's material was beginning to dip in caliber. Then came the twin powers of arranger/tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson and singer Billy Eckstine. Picking up from his fine work on Classics' earlier 1937-1939 disc, Johnson delivers standout charts here, like "Number 19" and the novelty number "Tantalizing a Cuban." One of Hines' top arrangers from the past, Jimmy Mundy, also does his part with solid if somewhat slick cuts like "You Can Depend on Me" and "Easy Rhythm." And with Eckstine in the mix, the band finally found a genuine star vocalist…