Album Notes

John Lennon meets Duke Ellington. That’s the innovative merging created by jazz pianist Pamela Hines on her new solo CD release, ”This Heart of Mine,” on Spice Rack Records. Jazz critic Scott Yanow says, ”As is obvious from listening to this music, nothing is missing. During the well paced and consistently intriguing program, Pamela Hines performs fresh and often-surprising versions of songs.”
The first refreshing musical surprise is the first track where Hines has merged “Reflections in D” by Duke Ellington with “Across the Universe” by John Lennon. It is an emotional journey that really shows Hines’ talent for the ballad.
The second innovative surprise is a jazz take on “Eternal Flame,” a Bangles hit from the ‘80’s. Hines seems to be very harmonically clear on this interpretation and the result is a pop-to-jazz success of great integrity.
Hines fills the rest of the hour long set with be-bop, ballads and meter changes on standards. The project rounds out a career that has shown Hines to be a very flexible pianist. She has recorded original albums for vocalists, trio albums and her debut CD in 1998, a quintet project that featured drummer Bob Moses, was so well received that she was asked to appear on Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland.
“A multi-faceted pianist is not an easy task to locate in today's jazz scene. Many pianists today have moved into a realm of groove oriented jazz, with no traces of swing anywhere to be found. Hines exemplifies the term well-rounded creating a pocket for the players to lay into with a deep sense of swing and driving force. Her ability to cover all styles of jazz clearly and with astounding technique comes through on her latest offering, proving once and for all that Hines is a seasoned composer, pianist and contributor to the jazz genre,” said Jeff Becker of Jazz Sensibilities in 2008.