EARL HINES
Genres: Swing, Stride Piano, Big Band, Vocal Jazz, Dixieland, Original New Orleans Jazz, Classic (1920s) Jazz • United States

Earl Hines has been called the first modern jazz pianist. His style differed from other pianists of the Twenties in his use of what were then considered unusual rhythms and accents. Jelly Roll Morton had set the direction of Jazz piano in the early part of the decade, but after 1926 Hines was at the forefront of the Hot Jazz style. Hines started playing professionally around 1921 in Pittsburgh. In 1923 Hines moved to Chicago where he worked with Deppe's Seranaders, Erskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra and with Carroll Dickerson. He met Louis Armstrong in 1926, at the local musician's union hall and the two became friends. Hines worked briefly in Louis Armstrong's Stompers and along with Zutty Singleton and Armstrong tried unsuccessfully to manage their own club together in Chicago. 1928 was a productive year for Hines. He recorded his first ten piano solos including versions of "A Monday Date," read more...