Earl Hines Orchestra live at Berliner Jazztage 1974

Ray Copeland, Waymond Reed, Francis Williams (tp)
Ake Persson, Alfred C. Cobbs, John Bernard Gordon (tb)
Sonny Stitt, Charles McPherson, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Budd Johnson, Cecil Payne (reeds)
Bobby Tucker (p); Earl May (b); Mickey Roker (dr); Earl Hines (p, voc)
Guests: Jay McShann (p); Red Rodney (tp); Billy Eckstine (voc); Candido (perc)

recorded live at Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Berliner Jazztage, November 2, 1974,

1. Hootie Blues
2. Sepian Bounce
3. Jumpin' the Blues
4. NN
5. Medley: Sweet Lorraine/ The Girl from Ipanema/ Carioca/ Bluesette
6. Now's the time
7. St. Louis Blues
8. Jelly Jelly
9. To be or not   
10. Theme repeat
11. Cubanismo
12. Theme repeat

Once called "the first modern jazz pianist," Earl Hines differed from the stride pianists of the 1920s by breaking up the stride rhythms with unusual accents from his left hand. While his right hand often played octaves so as to ring clearly over ensembles, Hines had the trickiest left hand in the business, often suspending time recklessly but without ever losing the beat. One of the all-time great pianists, Hines was a major influence on Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy, Joe Sullivan, Nat King Cole, and even to an extent on Art Tatum. He was also an underrated composer responsible for "Rosetta," "My Monday Date," and "You Can Depend on Me," among others.
A brilliant ensemble player as well as soloist, Earl Hines would lead big bands for the next 20 years. Among the key players in his band through the 1930s would be trumpeter/vocalist Walter Fuller, Ray Nance on trumpet and violin (prior to joining Duke Ellington), trombonist Trummy Young, tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson, Omer Simeon and Darnell Howard on reeds, and arranger Jimmy Mundy. In 1940, Billy Eckstine became the band's popular singer, and in 1943 (unfortunately during the musicians' recording strike), Hines welcomed such modernists as Charlie Parker (on tenor), trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and singer Sarah Vaughan in what was the first bebop orchestra. By the time the strike ended, Eckstine, Parker, Gillespie, and Vaughan were gone, but tenor Wardell Gray was still around to star with the group during 1945-1946.
In 1948, the economic situation forced Hines to break up his orchestra. He joined the Louis Armstrong All-Stars, but three years of playing second fiddle to his old friend were difficult to take.
Hines did record on a few occasions, but was largely forgotten in the jazz world by the early '60s. Then, in 1964, jazz writer Stanley Dance arranged for him to play three concerts at New York's Little Theater, both solo and in a quartet with Budd Johnson. The New York critics were amazed by Hines' continuing creativity and vitality, and he had a major comeback that lasted through the rest of his career. Hines traveled the world with his quartet, recorded dozens of albums, and remained famous and renowned up until his death at the age of 79.