Earl Hines reinvented jazz piano by playing it like a trumpet, his darting, octave-doubled right hand lines breaking piano free from its role as mere rhythm section. Known as Fatha for the way he seemed to father an entire generation of pianists, his 1928 solo sides remain a masterclass in melodic daring. He proved a pianist could solo with a horn player's freedom and still swing as hard as the band behind him.

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1928

A Monday DateEarl Hines