Earl Hines was in the midst of a major comeback at the time of this studio session, recorded in London in 1965. After years on the sidelines, primarily playing Dixieland, he firmly established himself as an in-demand solo pianist. The opening track, "Hines '65," is an elaborate, inventive blues that showcases his formidable technique. The pianist's version of "I Know That You Know" may not reach the heights of
Art Tatum's dazzling recordings, but his chops are never in doubt throughout this romping arrangement. Most of the rest of the session is devoted to low-key ballads. His stride roots come out in a playful rendition of
James P. Johnson's "If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)," while "My Blue Heaven" is every bit as lyrical. "I Know a Little Bit About a Lot of Things" is a somewhat obscure tune written by
Peggy Lee and her then-husband, Dave Barbour;
Hines adds his friendly vocals to his fairly straightforward interpretation. This is easily one of
Earl Hines' best solo albums, finally reissued on CD in 2002. ~ Ken Dryden