Bassist Roger Hines (photo by Stephen Pariser) has logged many miles on the road during his thirty-year career as a musician. Hines toured as musical director for Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Diane Schuur from 1988 to 2004. He also teamed up with Ms. Schuur as artist in residence and educational clinician at many colleges and other educational venues throughout the U.S. and abroad. From 1980 – 1987 Roger toured and recorded exclusively as bassist for legendary singer Ray Charles. This close relationship with “The Genius of Soul” continued until Brother Ray’s passing in 2004. Hines has also performed with many other well-known artists and ensembles including Louie Bellson, the Cab Calloway Orchestra, Ann Hampton Callaway, Johnny Coles, the Count Basie Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, Eddie Daniels, Billy Eckstine, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Frank Foster, Sir Roland Hanna, Eddie Jefferson, Hank Marr, Zoot Sims, and Ernie Watts. In addition to performing, Roger also taught bass at the Ohio State University School of Music, as a jazz studies faculty member for many years.
Hines has performed at well known venues such as the Blue Note in New York, Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo; Blues Alley in Washington, D.C.; Carnegie Hall; the Hollywood Bowl; Jazz Alley in Seattle; the Kennedy Center; Ronnie Scott’s in London; and Yoshi’s in San Francisco. He also performed at the White House for President Clinton and at the Palace of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
Festival performances include the Antibes Jazz Festival, Aruba Jazz Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, Cinco de Mayo Festival in Peru, JVC Jazz Festival, Martinique Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Montreaux Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Sedona Jazz on the Rocks, Tanglewood Summer Jazz Series and the Warsaw Jazz Festival. Television appearances include the Tonight Show, CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, Ray Charles’ 40th Anniversary Special, Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon, PBS’ American Masters Series, and BET on Jazz.
Hines’ playing is featured on recordings with Ray Charles, Diane Schuur, Etta Jones, Ernie Krivda, Gene Walker, and with his group Madrugada and guitarist Stan Smith, both on Cojazz Records. Roger received a B.M. in Music Theory/Composition and a M.A. in String Pedagogy from The Ohio State University. He studied bass with Dave Holland and composition with Brazilian composer Moacir Santos. Also he has been awarded an individual artist grant recipient for the Ohio Arts Council and the Greater Columbus Arts Council and been featured in the Artist in the Schools Program.