Hines '65

[Larry Kart]

Recorded in London in 1965 (natch), this solo album is a gem. The almost nine-minute title track  --  a blues, with Hines supplying a walking left-hand bass line almost throughout -- is really something, very inventive, and in its feel and contrapuntal textures not that far from some of Tristano's solo forays of the same time. Also, on two tracks -- "If I Could be With You" and "I Didn't Know About You" -- Hines sings in a charmingly insinuating and, as one might expect, rhythmically quite supple manner. His singing is quite intimate in effect -- the quality of the voice not unlike that of a less insistent Cab Calloway but without any of Calloway's jive.

https://www.amazon.com/Piano-London-Definitive-Black-Sessions/dp/B001CDJM3A/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1464797154&sr=1-1&keywords=hines+65

 

[duaneiac]

The song is not "I Didn't Know About You" (the Duke Ellington song), but "I Don't Know Enough About You", a Peggy Lee composition.  Either way, it is misidentified on the Amazon page as "I Know A Little Bit About A Lot of Things".

[Larry Kart]

Sorry --  I posted what I did while the album itself was downstairs and should have gone back to check. Also, I think that guitartst Dave Barbour, Lee's husband at the time, had a co-credit on the song.

[king ubu]

Ordered an LP of this (CD goes for crazy prices) - always in for more grand late solo Hines!  

[duaneiac]

2 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Sorry --  I posted what I did while the album itself was downstairs and should have gone back to check. Also, I think that guitartst Dave Barbour, Lee's husband at the time, had a co-credit on the song.

I just posted that point as a clarification, so no need for an apology.  Goodness knows I have made my share of errors in my posts.  For all I know, "I Didn't Know About You" may be a Billy Strayhorn number.

[king ubu]

Playing my (French) LP now ... very noisy (and I was ripped of on shipping costs, hate when sellers do that), but even more enjoyable! Just flipped to side two and the title track is indeed wonderful! Thanks for the recommendation, Larry

[gmonahan]

Hines did some fine work in the 60s, including a couple of fine albums with Johnny Hodges for Verve.  Now, if only Mosaic would get around to those.......

 

gregmo

[BillF]

Casting my memory back to those far-off days of the sixties, I recall that everyone was surprised when the out-of-fashion Hines (this was the era of Coltrane) won an award for a solo piano album. Anyone know what the album and award were? I can't remember.

[JSngry]

Maybe one of the "Plays Ellingyon" things?

If this turns up on CD at an affordable price, I want it. Earl Hines is a happening player, and yes I mean "is"!

[Larry Kart]

On June 7, 2016 at 2:59 PM, BillF said:

Casting my memory back to those far-off days of the sixties, I recall that everyone was surprised when the out-of-fashion Hines (this was the era of Coltrane) won an award for a solo piano album. Anyone know what the album and award were? I can't remember.

Hines was very much in fashion, not out of fashion, at the time, thanks to the stunning Hines concerts -- with Hines in a trio setting and also in the company of Roy Eldridge and Coleman Hawkins -- that Don Schlitten and David Himmelstein mounted and recorded at the Village Vanguard:

https://www.discogs.com/Earl-Hines-Trio-Grand-Reunion/release/2812272

From this a veritable avalanche of typically superb Hines solo and small group recordings ensued, the solo recordings being especially choice. I've got a whole bunch of them.

[medjuck]

IIRC Hines' quartet with Budd Johnson on tenor was touring in the summer of 1965. 

[BillF]

7 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Hines was very much in fashion, not out of fashion, at the time, thanks to the stunning Hines concerts -- with Hines in a trio setting and also in the company of Roy Eldridge and Coleman Hawkins -- that Don Schlitten and David Himmelstein mounted and recorded at the Village Vanguard:

https://www.discogs.com/Earl-Hines-Trio-Grand-Reunion/release/2812272

From this a veritable avalanche of typically superb Hines solo and small group recordings ensued, the solo recordings being especially choice. I've got a whole bunch of them.

When I said "out of fashion" I meant in the uninformed opinion of British jazz fans in their early 20s, which is what I was at the time, and for whom the buzz words were Coltrane, Tyner, Elvin, Kirk, etc, but certainly not Hines. As to the award he won for a solo album, it may have been jazz album of the year as chosen by British jazz critics, or something like that.

Edited June 9, 2016 by BillF

[AllenLowe]

I think the black lion solo albums (I think it was black lion) are also incredible.

[Larry Kart]

Several excellent Hines solo albums were made for the Australian Swaggie label in the ‘70s and are well worth trying to track down:

 

Hines Plays Hines

 

 Hines Plays Cole Porter

 

Hines Plays Dave Dallwitz (Dallwitz — 1914-2003 — was the remarkable Australian composer-bandleader)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Dallwitz

 

I also like (from the same period):

My Tribute To Louis

 

Hines Does Hoagy

 

Hines Comes in Handy

They've been collected here:

 

http://www.masterdigital.com/24bit/mastering/gallery/sacd-111.htm

[paul secor]

Earlier thread on Earl Hines solo recordings: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?/topic/25524-earl-hines-solo-recommendations/