Earl Hines

Earl Hines is often described as one of the most influential pianists in jazz history. Born in Pennsylvania, he moved to Chicago in 1925, where he made major recordings with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five. From his very first solo piano recordings in 1928, his style was already far removed from the Stride Piano of the period: less harmonic, his virtuoso, syncopated playing broke free from the rhythmic rules then established in jazz.

The Early Years: From Pittsburgh to Chicago

Born on December 28, 1903, in Duquesne, near Pittsburgh, Earl Hines grew up in a family of musicians and received classical piano training. He turned to jazz at an early age and began performing in the clubs of his hometown, notably alongside singer Lois Deppe. In 1925, he moved to Chicago, then the capital of jazz, and joined Carroll Dickerson’s orchestra. It was there that he met Louis Armstrong, a decisive encounter for his career.

From the Hot Five to the Grand Terrace: A Career in Three Acts

With Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five, Earl Hines recorded major tracks in 1928 such as West End Blues and Weather Bird, followed by his first piano solos. He then led a big band at Chicago’s Grand Terrace Ballroom, with concerts broadcast on radio across the country. This band later welcomed bebop figures such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, making Earl Hines a link between swing and modern jazz. He went on to perform in small groups and as a soloist, enjoying a second, international career from the 1960s until his death in 1983.

Earl Hines’s Piano Style: The “Trumpet Piano Style”

Earl Hines had a very personal way of making the piano “sing,” using characteristic vibratos in the right hand: this became known as the “Trumpet piano style.” His playing relies on right-hand octave lines inspired by the phrasing of trumpet players, on a syncopated and unpredictable rhythm, and on a left hand that is freer than in stride. This approach paved the way for modern jazz piano, in which the right hand becomes a true soloist. His composition Rosetta became a jazz standard. His sense of rhythm and improvisational spirit influenced many pianists, from Teddy Wilson to Nat King Cole, and his work remains a reference for jazz pianists today.