EARL “FATHA” HINES (pianist, composer) was born Earl Kenneth Hines on December 28, 1903 in Duquesne, PA and passed away on April 23, 1983 in Oakland, California. Moving to Chicago in connected with Louis Armstrong, performing with him throughout the 20’s and 30’s and again in the 1940s. Hines is one of the great innovators in jazz piano, known for the amazing technique and improvisation skills, he moved through the swing era to bebop, sequeing from the stride style to more horn-like phrasing. He led a big band in Chicago from 1928 – 1948 and radio broadcasts influenced such rising stars as Art Tatum and Jay McShann. After a brief retirement, Hines was “re-discovered” in the 1960’s and had career resurgence through concerts and recordings.