MILT HINTON
Genres: Swing, Big Band • United States

Milt Hinton, byname of Milton John Hinton, also called the Judge, (born June 23, 1910, Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.—died December 19, 2000, Jamaica, Queens, New York), American jazz musician, a highly versatile bassist who came of age in the swing era and became one of the favourite bassists of post-World War II jazz. Hinton grew up in Chicago, where he began playing bass in high school and then worked with jazz bands in the early to mid-1930s, most notably with violinist Eddie South. He made his reputation as one of the most potent bassists in jazz during 15 years (1936–51) with Cab Calloway’s band, in which he became noted for his full tone and rhythmic vigour. A master of slap bass (an exaggerated technique in which the strings are pulled far out and then let go so that they snap back), Hinton had a fluid and technical style that was unmatched. He read more...