EARL HINES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1934-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 528 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Between his auspicious beginnings with Armstrong, Jimmie Noone, and Erskine Tate during the late '20s and his proto-bebop big band of the '40s, Earl Hines found his '30s stride with these fine recordings. Part of a clutch of Classics discs charting his solo and big-band sides from 1928-1947, this collection finds Hines in the stellar company of such top arrangers as Jimmy Mundy, Quinn Wilson, and Cecil Irwin. While Mundy was the only one to achieve fame beyond the group (with Count Basie), all these chart-makers flourished under Hines' watch. Mundy's work especially stands out: Four of his contributions here -- "Fat Babes," "Copenhagen," "Rock and Rye," and "Cavernism" -- count as pinnacles of the form, replete with inventive horn parts and streamlined yet driving rhythm tracks. Hines, of course, finds his own way quite nicely with a series of sparkling solo statements. And helping out on the bandstand are such luminaries as trombonist Trummy Young, trumpeter Walter Fuller, and tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson (later to provide Hines with some quality arrangements of his own). A high point in the Hines catalog. Stephen Cook  
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EARL HINES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 567 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

At the time of these recordings, Hines was in the process of re-igniting his once potent and inventive big band of the mid-'30s. And while he and his cohorts hadn't completely dropped off the quality scale -- Hines' solos, of course, always remained hot -- the group's material was beginning to dip in caliber. Then came the twin powers of arranger/tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson and singer Billy Eckstine. Picking up from his fine work on Classics' earlier 1937-1939 disc, Johnson delivers standout charts here, like "Number 19" and the novelty number "Tantalizing a Cuban." One of Hines' top arrangers from the past, Jimmy Mundy, also does his part with solid if somewhat slick cuts like "You Can Depend on Me" and "Easy Rhythm." And with Eckstine in the mix, the band finally found a genuine star vocalist. Showing the kind of swarthy tone and incredible facility that would bring him fame over the next three decades, Eckstine lights up the proceedings on classics like "Jelly, Jelly," "I'm Falling for You," and "Ann." Keeping up with the Young Turk, Hines displays his seasoned soloing chops on numbers like "Rosetta," "Body and Soul," and "Child of a Disordered Brain." Check out the mighty Hines band finding its groove again before unwittingly morphing into an incubator for bebop talent. Stephen Cook     Tracklist :

EARL HINES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 621 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1975, when Bluebird brought out a double-LP reissue of vintage Earl Hines big-band recordings, the producers included a chain of beefy instrumentals from 1941. The Classics Chronological series zeroed in and fleshed out an important part of the picture by compiling all of Hines' 1941 material onto one CD 16 years later. What you get are eight terrific instrumentals interspersed with ten vocal tracks and a pair of fine piano solos. Since the vocal performances were aimed at the general record-buying public, they deviate noticeably from the powerhouse home base of big-band swing infused with intimations of the approaching bebop revolution. Eight instrumentals, then, form the backbone of this volume in the complete recordings of Earl Hines. "Up Jumped the Devil" and the attractive "Jersey Bounce" were designed for dancers, fairly bristling with hot drum breaks by Rudy Traylor and steamy solos by trumpeter George Dixon and tenor man Franz Jackson. Jackson composed, arranged, and blew his horn on "South Side," a cooker with solos by trumpeter Harry Jackson and Scoops Carey on clarinet. "Windy City Jive," composed and arranged by Buster Harding, has a tenor sax solo by the mighty Budd Johnson. Arranged by Eddie Durham, "Swingin' on C" overflows with great solos, including two trombone breaks by John "Streamline" Ewing. "Yellow Fire," a vivid, time-honored stomp for big band, finishes off with a percussion explosion by Traylor. Presiding over all of this excitement, Earl Hines distinguishes himself from time to time with piano breaks amid the other solos. "The Father Jumps," borrowing an ascending riff from Duke Ellington's "Merry Go Round," is a good hot jam with foamy drumming. "The Earl" is completely built around the pianist's presence, as he executes flashy tricks and wiggly runs between big-band blasts. This track showcases some of Hines' finest keyboard calisthenics. On the two unaccompanied piano solos, Hines demonstrates what could be called "Chicago stride," experimenting more than a bit with the structure of "Melancholy Baby." As for the vocalists, Billy Eckstine turns in half a dozen calorie-laden performances, the best of which is the slightly outrageous "Jitney Man," wherein he approaches the joyous theatricality of Al Hibbler. Madeline Green had a sweet little voice, but listeners are almost never able to appreciate it without the sugary backing of a vocal group calling itself the Three Varieties -- a takeoff on the Heinz condiment company's much-touted slogan, "57 Varieties." These singers try for the confectionary sound that many white big bands were hopelessly addicted to at the time. They pour syrup all over the place, and as a result some of the pop-oriented material feels at times a bit sticky. But that's what you get in a complete chronological survey of everything this bandleader did in order to stay in business over the space of eight months in 1941. arwulf arwulf  
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