Earl Hines revolutionized the piano in the 1930s and, with Art Tatum, remains jazz's mightiest player. His fearsome, trumpet-like octave attack incorporated all aspects of the jazz orchestra. Instead of cranking out machine-like syncopation on the keyboard, Hines's swing style gave the piano a personality free from the rhythm section and set the stage for the big band era. Here's a color documentary on the man they called Fatha." It was filmed at the Blues Alley club in Washington, D.C., for the U.K.'s ITV channel in 1975...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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