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Earl Hines: Fatha’s Blues
Tradition/ Music Gallery India; CD; Rs. 600
The importance of Earl “Fatha” Hines (1903-1983) in the history of jazz is difficult to overstress. He was Louis Armstrong’s pianist on the landmark recording of “West End Blues” in 1928 when Armstrong made solo improvisation an essential characteristic of jazz.
He went on to make his mark as a pianist in different settings: in bigger ensembles, whether or not as leader; leading a piano trio (with bass and drums); and as a solo pianist.
As this 1964 album shows, Hines was among the greatest solo pianists of swing or indeed any style in jazz. Within its rather short (and expensive) 36 minutes of running time, Hines packs in enough work on the keys to show off his distinctive style, marked by changes in tempo and volume, sudden rhythmic variations, and flashing runs with his right hand spanning much of the keyboard as he plays with the melodic line. His left hand is strong too, as can be seen from the rhythmic variations.
It is difficult to know when a solo pianist is playing the written score and when he’s improvising, or “soloing” as it’s known in jazz (when there’s an ensemble the others accompany the soloist as he improvises). But matters are fairly clear-cut on this album.
Even on the two tracks that seem to have been extemporised here (“Fatha’s Blues” and “Tosca’s Dance”, both composed by Hines but the latter based on a theme from Tosca) one can discern a basic melody which recurs and is distinct from the improvising.
The slow-paced “Fatha’s Blues”, with its extensive improvisation and its changes in tempo, the medium-paced “Undecided” with its dramatic intro and long solo after the theme, the fast-paced “I’ve Found a New Baby” and “Tosca’s Dance”, both with beautiful intros, and the slow “Black Coffee” with a dramatic intro and a percussive beat…More
