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Known as "The Judge" and "The Dean of the Jazz Bass," Milt Hinton is one of the most recorded jazz artists in history. |
Hinton was born in Vicksburg, Miss., in 1910. His family moved to Chicago when he was 11 years old -- his mother took a job there as a music teacher and church organist. She bought her son a violin at 13 and the young Hinton began studying at the Wendell Phillips High School.
After four years of study on the violin and with training on the tuba, bass horn, and cello, Hinton eventually found his way to the string bass. He notes that the switch was due in part to the fact that so many violinists in movie theater orchestra's were loosing their jobs when the movies began being made with sound. Jazz, though, was booming in the town, and Hinton thought playing the bass would allow him to have a successful career in music.
Hinton began gigging around Chicago -- playing with Eddie South off and on for 5 years while at the same time, playing with some of Chicago's most notorious jazz men such as Johnny Long, Tiny Parham, Fate Marable, and Art Tatum. In 1936, Hinton joined Cab Callaway’s band, which allowed him to play with Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, and Ben Webster among others. During breaks from playing with the Callaway big band, Hinton also played and recorded with Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holiday and even Chuck Berry.
After a 16-year gig as bass player for Callaway's band, Hinton became a freelance musician, working New York night clubs, recording frequently with major jazz artists -- everyone from Ellington to Mingus, and Goodman to Coltrane -- and eventually taking jobs as a staff musician, first at CBS and later at ABC on the Dick Cavett show. Hinton also enjoyed playing for a wide variety of artists including both jazz and pop acts: he performed and toured with such artists as Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis, Jr., Judy Garland, Pearl Bailey, Harry Belafonte, Barbara Streisand and Paul McCartney.
During his time with the Callaway band, Hinton took up photography and began taking photos of jazz musicians "in their own habitat." He continued this hobby over the years and ultimately collected over 60,000 photos of jazz musicians. In addition to several gallery shows around the world showcasing this historically important collection, his works have also appeared in Popular Photography, The New York Times and Life magazine. He also published two books of his photographs: Bass Line and Overtime.
Hinton passed away in 2000.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
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Set List for Milt Hinton on Piano Jazz:Milt's Rap (Berger, Phillips)
All the Things You Are (Kern, Hammerstein)
My One and Only Love (Mellin, Wood)
Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho (Traditional) (Hinton arr.)
Willow Weep For Me (Ronell)
Old Man Time (Friend, Reynolds)
These Foolish Things (Maschwitz, Strachey)
Stranger in a Dream (Caesar, McPartland)
How High The Moon (Hamilton, Lewis)
Related Stories Milt Hinton, Photographer
After four years of study on the violin and with training on the tuba, bass horn, and cello, Hinton eventually found his way to the string bass. He notes that the switch was due in part to the fact that so many violinists in movie theater orchestra's were loosing their jobs when the movies began being made with sound. Jazz, though, was booming in the town, and Hinton thought playing the bass would allow him to have a successful career in music.
Hinton began gigging around Chicago -- playing with Eddie South off and on for 5 years while at the same time, playing with some of Chicago's most notorious jazz men such as Johnny Long, Tiny Parham, Fate Marable, and Art Tatum. In 1936, Hinton joined Cab Callaway’s band, which allowed him to play with Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, and Ben Webster among others. During breaks from playing with the Callaway big band, Hinton also played and recorded with Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holiday and even Chuck Berry.
After a 16-year gig as bass player for Callaway's band, Hinton became a freelance musician, working New York night clubs, recording frequently with major jazz artists -- everyone from Ellington to Mingus, and Goodman to Coltrane -- and eventually taking jobs as a staff musician, first at CBS and later at ABC on the Dick Cavett show. Hinton also enjoyed playing for a wide variety of artists including both jazz and pop acts: he performed and toured with such artists as Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis, Jr., Judy Garland, Pearl Bailey, Harry Belafonte, Barbara Streisand and Paul McCartney.
During his time with the Callaway band, Hinton took up photography and began taking photos of jazz musicians "in their own habitat." He continued this hobby over the years and ultimately collected over 60,000 photos of jazz musicians. In addition to several gallery shows around the world showcasing this historically important collection, his works have also appeared in Popular Photography, The New York Times and Life magazine. He also published two books of his photographs: Bass Line and Overtime.
Hinton passed away in 2000.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
Subscribe!
Set List for Milt Hinton on Piano Jazz:
Related Stories Milt Hinton, Photographer