Earl Hines recorded many outstanding piano solos in the early days of jazz.
(Click to see a larger view of the above photograph).
(photo copyrighted by Rob DeLand, Grayslake, IL)
Earl Hines was born December 28, 1903 in Dusquesne, Pennsylvania. Reviewer Scott Yanow describes Hines' innovations concisely: "Once called "the first modern jazz pianist", Earl Hines differed from the stride pianists of the 1920's 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" (please read more like this at the All Music web site).
Hines' collaborations with Louis Armstrong are some of my very favorite early jazz recordings. They recorded together as part of Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers on April 22, 1927. Titles recorded that day included Weary Blues, New Orleans Stomp, Wild Man Blues, and Melancholy. These are available today on an excellent Dodds CD entitled "South Side Chicago Jazz" (MCA / Decca 42326).
Shortly after the Dodds sessions, Hines began recording with Armstrong's Hot Five / Seven in May 1927. The many great titles recorded by this group include Chicago Breakdown, Fireworks, Skip The Gutter, A Monday Date, Don't Jive Me, West End Blues, Sugar Foot Strut, and Weather Bird (the latter is a stunning duet between Hines and Armstrong and is not to be missed. Take a look at an on-line Armstrong discography for details).
Hines recorded a series of solos in 1928 for Okeh and the rare QRS label (yes, the same QRS as the piano roll manufacturer). These have been reissued on CD and LP. Here is a list of these early solos, taken from JAZZ RECORDS 1897 - 1942 by Brian Rust:
Piano Solos Recorded December 8, 1928
in Long Island City:
287 Blues In Thirds (Caution
Blues) / QRS R-7036
288 Off Time Blues / QRS R-7036
289 Chicago High Life / QRS R-7037
290 A Monday Date / QRS R-7037
291 Stowaway / QRS R-7038
292 Chimes In Blues / QRS R-7038
293 Panther Rag / QRS R-7039
294 Just Too Soon / QRS R-7039
Piano Solos Recorded December 9, 1928
in Chicago:
402210 Caution Blues / Okeh 8832
402211 A Monday Date / Okeh 8832
Piano Solos Recorded December 12, 1928
in Chicago:
402216 I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None O' This Jelly Roll / rejected
(unissued)
402217 Baby, Won't You Please Come Home? / rejected (unissued)
402218 I Ain't Got Nobody / Okeh 8653
402219 57 Varieties / Okeh 8653
After this Hines' next session was February 1929 with his orchestra. I am not very familiar with his orchestral work, so if anyone can tell me about solo piano work from these sessions I would like to know more. Please email me!
Interspersed with his orchestra recordings are various piano solos:
Recorded February 25, 1929 in Chicago:
50528-1 Glad Rag Doll / (issued on LP)
50528-2 Glad Rag Doll / Bluebird B-10555
Recorded July 14, 1932 in New York:
B-12079-A-B Love Me Tonight / Brunswick 6403
B-12079 - C Love Me Tonight / Columbia 35877
B-12080 - A Down Among The Sheltering Palms / Brunswick 6403
B-12080 - B Down Among The Sheltering Palms / Columbia 35877
Recorded October 6, 1939 in Chicago:
040480-3 Rosetta / Bluebird B-10555
Recorded February 26, 1940 in New York:
047700-1 Body And Soul / Bluebird B-10642
047701-2 Child Of A Disordered Brain / Bluebird B-10642
Recorded April 3, 1941 in New York:
063333-1 On The Sunny Side Of The Street / (issued on LP)
063333-2 On The Sunny Side Of The Street / Victor 27562
063334-1 My Melancholy Baby / Victor 27562
063334-2 My Melancholy Baby / (issued on LP)
Hines recorded prolifically into the
1970's. I have several of these recordings, including 3 piano
rolls he recorded for QRS in 1976 (see below), but to be honest
I've never really gotten into either the later recordings or the
rolls. He seems to ramble and doesn't have the dramatic statements
to make that he made in the 1928 solos. Again, if someone would
care to enlighten me in this area I would be most appreciative.
QRS launched their Celebrity Series of new piano rolls in the 1970's. QRS owner Ramsey Tick exercised his connections with the entertainment business and recorded such artists as Eubie Blake, Marian McPartland, George Shearing, and of course Earl Hines. The following images are taken directly from the leader of one of these rolls in my collection.
Recorded 1976 in Buffalo:
CEL-146 Blues In Thirds
CEL-147 Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues
CEL-148 Rosetta / (out of production)
CEL-149 My Monday Date / (out of production)
The most complete coverage of Earl Hines is
the 1977 book by Stanley Dance, "The World of Earl Hines".
It is out of print, but your library or out-of-print book source
should be able to get a copy for you.