Milt Hinton born Milton John Hilton (Vicksburg, Mississippi, June 23, 1910; d. Queens, New York, December 19, 2000), "the dean of jazz bass players," was an American jazz double bassist and photographer. He was nicknamed "The Judge".

Biography

Hinton lived in Vicksburg until the age of eleven when he moved to Chicago, Illinois. He attended Wendell Phillips High School and Crane Junior College. While attending these schools, he learned to play the bass horn, tuba, cello and the double bass.

In the late 1920s and early 30s, he worked as a freelance musician in Chicago. During this time, he worked with famous jazz musicians such as Jabbo Smith, Eddie South, and Art Tatum. In 1936, he joined a band led by Cab Calloway. Members of this band included Chu Berry, Cozy Cole, Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Jonah Jones, Ike Quebec, Ben Webster, and Danny Barker.

Hinton possessed a formidable technique and was equally adept and bowing, pizzicato, and "slapping," a technique for which he became famous while playing with the big band of Cab Calloway from 1936 to 1951. Unusually for a double bass player, Hinton was frequently given the spotlight by Calloway, taking virtuosic bass solos in tunes like "Pluckin' the Bass."

Hinton played a rare Gofriller Double Bass during his latter career. The bass was in pieces in a cellar in Italy and a musical agent arranged the purchase from the family for Hinton. Hinton in his autobiography "Bass Line" ascribed the tone as magnificent and said it was one of the reasons for his long success in the New York recording studios in the 50's, and 60's.

He later became a television staff musician, working regularly on shows by Jackie Gleason and later Dick Cavett. His work can be heard on the Branford Marsalis album Trio Jeepy.

Hinton twice received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts for his work as a jazz educator: a music fellowship in 1977 and an NEA Jazz Master award in 1993.

According to a search of The Jazz Discography, Hinton is the most-recorded jazz musician of all time, having appeared on 1,174 recordings.

Also a fine photographer, Hinton documented many of the great jazz musicians via photographs he took over the course of his career. Milt Hinton was one of the best friends of the great jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong.

Discography

As leader

• 1955: Milt Hinton Bethlehem High Fidelity
• 1955: Basses Loaded
• 1955: Milt Hinton Quartet Bethlehem High Fidelity
• 1956 : The Rhythm Section Epic
• 1975: Here Swings the Judge Progressive
• 1977: The Trio (Chiaroscuro Records)
• 1984: Back to Bass-ics Progressive
• 1984: The Judge's Decision Exposure
• 1990: Old Man Time Chiaroscuro
• 1994: The Trio: 1994 Chiaroscuro
• 1994: Laughing at Life

As sideman

With Ralph Sutton and Ruby Braff

• Remembered (Arbors Records)

References

External links

• Milt Hinton film clips
• NPR Documentary on Milt Hinton's life and music