Anticipating swing with his inventive rhythms and horn-like punchiness, jazz pianist Earl Hines left his native Pennsylvania for Chicago in the mid-'20s. He soon hooked up with Louis Armstrong, collaborating across tracks like 1928's pioneering duet “Weather Bird” and the affable, scat-punctuated “A Monday Date”. Once he had started leading his own band, Hines hosted such rising players as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. “Boogie Woogie On St. Louis Blues”, from 1937, sees Hines showcase the playful independence of his left and right hands, with the latter outshining the band's brass section in sheer melodic brightness.