In 1928 (on his 25th birthday) Hines began leading his own big band. For over 10 years his was "The Band" in Al Capone's Grand Terrace Cafe — Hines was Capone's "Mr Piano Man". Hines recorded for Victor in 1929, then after a gap for Brunswick from 1932-1934, Decca from 1934-1935, then after another gap, Vocalion from 1937-1938 and Bluebird from 1939-1942 (nearly all among the best Black Jazz of the era). From the Grand Terrace, The Earl Hines Orchestra (or "Organization" as he more happily referred to it) broadcast on "open mikes", sometimes five nights a week and over many years, coast to coast across America — Chicago being well placed to deal with the U.S. live-broadcasting time-zone problem. Hines's band became the most broadcast band in America. Sometimes Nat "King" Cole was Hines's relief pianist (though Cliff Smalls was his favorite) and it was here with Hines that Charlie Parker got his first professional job...until he was fired for his time-keeping — by which Hines meant Parker's inability to show up on time despite Parker resorting to sleeping under the Grand Terrace stage in his attempts to do so. Hines led his big band until 1947, taking time out to front the Duke Ellington orchestra in 1944 while Duke was ill...but the big-band era was over. (Thirty years later, Hines's 20 solo "transformative versions" of his "Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington" recorded in the 1970s were described by Ben Ratliff in the "New York Times" as "as good an example of the jazz process as anything out there".)
At the start of 1949 Hines rejoined Armstrong in the latter's "All Stars" "small band", where Hines stayed through 1951. He then led his own small combo around the States and Europe. At the start of the jazz-lean 1960s he settled in Oakland, California, opened a tobacconist's, and came close to giving up the profession. Then, in 1964 Hines was "suddenly rediscovered" following a series of concerts in New York. He was the 1965 "Critics' Choice" for Down Beat Magazine's "Hall of Fame". From then till he died he recorded endlessly both solo and with jazz notables like Cat Anderson, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Greer, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Budd Johnson, Jimmy Rushing, Stuff Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Venuti and Ben Webster. Possibly more surprising were Elvin Jones, Peggy Lee, Charles Mingus, Dinah Washington — and Ry Cooder. But his most acclaimed recordings of this period were his dazzling and endlessly inventive solo performances, which could show him at his very best, "a whole orchestra by himself".[12] Solo tributes to Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin were all put on record in the 1970s. Hines also toured Europe again regularly at this time, and added Asia, Australia and the Soviet Union to his list of State Department–funded destinations. At the top of his form, Hines also displayed his endearing quirks (not to say grunts) in these performances. Sometimes he sang as he played, especially his own "They Never Believed I Could Do It - Neither Did I". In 1975 he made an hour-long "solo" film for British TV out-of-hours in a Washington nightclub: the "New York Herald Tribune" described it as "The greatest jazz-film ever made". He played solo in The White House and played solo for the Pope — and played (and sang) his last job a few days before he died in Oakland, quite likely somewhat older than he had always maintained.
A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody
Earl Hines Lyrics
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I like a pretty girl-ie, with each pretty tune that's played.
They go together, like sunny weather goes with the month of May.
I've studied girls and music, so I'm qualified to say
[Chorus]
A pretty girl is like a melody that haunts you night and day,
Just like the strain of a haunting refrain,
You can't escape she's in your memory. by morning night and noon.
She will leave you and then come back a-gain,
A pretty girl is just like a pretty tune.
I have an ear for music, and I have an eye for a maid.
I like a pretty girl-ie, with each pretty tune that's played.
They go together, like sunny weather goes with the month of May.
I've studied girls and music, so I'm qualified to say
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Earl Hines's song A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody highlight a comparison between a pretty girl and a melody. The singer mentions having an ear for music and an eye for a maid, which implies that he is romantically attracted to women. He states that he likes pretty girls who are accompanied by pretty tunes. According to him, the two things go together like sunny weather with the month of May. The singer also claims to have studied both music and girls and thus feels qualified to say that a pretty girl is like a melody that haunts you day and night. Just like a haunting refrain, a pretty girl will stick in your memory and will come back to you no matter how hard you try to forget her.
The lyrics to A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody suggest that the singer sees women as something to be appreciated artistically, rather than simply for their physical appearance. He likes women who are accompanied by pretty tunes, which implies that he sees a connection between the way women look and the music they inspire. He also emphasizes the haunting quality of pretty girls, which suggests that he is drawn to the mystery and beauty that they possess. Overall, the lyrics suggest that the singer sees the world around him as something to be appreciated aesthetically, and that this appreciation extends to the women he encounters.
Line by Line Meaning
I have an ear for music, and I have an eye for a maid.
I possess the ability to recognize good music as well as an eye for attracting women.
I like a pretty girl-ie, with each pretty tune that's played.
I am drawn to attractive women, and they perfectly complement enjoyable music.
They go together, like sunny weather goes with the month of May.
A connection exists between beautiful women and melodious music, much like the correlation between warm weather and the lovely month of May.
I've studied girls and music, so I'm qualified to say
Due to my extensive knowledge of women and music, I can rightfully conclude that
A pretty girl is like a melody that haunts you night and day,
An attractive woman has a sublime effect that lingers in the mind incessantly, much like an unforgettable tune.
Just like the strain of a haunting refrain,
The impact of an attractive lady's presence is akin to a tune's striking impression.
She'll start up on a marathon and run a-round your brain.
Her presence often leads to pervasive thoughts and an inability to stop thinking of her.
You can't escape she's in your memory. by morning night and noon.
The woman's image is embedded in memory, challenging to forget even during waking and sleeping hours.
She will leave you and then come back a-gain,
Although she may depart from sight at times, she will likely re-enter the mind's eye subsequently.
A pretty girl is just like a pretty tune.
An attractive woman has an enticing effect that is akin to a delightful tune.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind