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.
I Never Knew
Earl Hines Lyrics
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Without a prayer or two
That heaven might find a way, so I
Might just run into you,
Just to be near you and to hear you say hello
Would give an ordinary day a lovely glow!
I'll never let a day pass by
And thrill to every tender sigh
While you're in my embrace,
I know it's all a dream, but darling, if it were true,
I'd never let a day pass by without my loving you!
The lyrics to Earl Hines's song I Never Knew express a longing for a lost love. The singer expresses a desire to pray for a chance encounter with their beloved. The mere possibility of running into the person they love brightens their day. The singer's love for the person they are singing to seems to define their existence. The mention of a "tender sigh" and being in an embrace suggest that the love is intense and romantic. The singer seems to recognize that their desire is impossible, though, noting that it's all just a dream.
The lyrics are heartfelt and poetic. They capture the essence of a romantic longing that many people can relate to. The repetition of the phrase "I'll never let a day pass by" emphasizes the singer's commitment to holding onto their love for the person they are singing to. Even though the love is unattainable, the singer still holds onto hope that they might one day be reunited.
Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of love and loss. The lyrics are simple, but they convey a complex set of emotions. The melody is soothing and melancholic, which perfectly complements the words.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll never let a day pass by,
I will never let a day go by without doing something significant or meaningful.
Without a prayer or two
I will always pray for something to happen or for someone to come into my life.
That heaven might find a way, so I
I believe that heaven has the power to bring people together and make things happen.
Might just run into you,
I hope to unexpectedly meet or come across the person I am hoping for.
Just to be near you and to hear you say hello
Being close to you and hearing your voice would make my day much better and brighter.
Would give an ordinary day a lovely glow!
Even a simple or ordinary day would be special and full of happiness if I saw you and heard your voice.
But that I'll see you face,
I will never let a day pass without seeing your face in my mind or in person.
And thrill to every tender sigh
Your every tender breath and sound bring me joy and excitement.
While you're in my embrace,
When I hold you close to me, it feels like a dream come true.
I know it's all a dream, but darling, if it were true,
Although I know that this may all be an imagination, if it were real, it would be my greatest wish.
I'd never let a day pass by without my loving you!
I would never let a day pass without showing my love and affection for you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOESSER, SCHERTZINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind