“Jonathan is an exceptional jazz pianist whose receptivity, ambition, and musicianship will continually set him apart throughout his career.” - Angelo Versace
“I hardly identify as a jazz musician. I think when we begin to identify too much with a genre, we can assume too much pressure to fit within a mold and lose sight of ourselves. Although I love improvised music, and have invested a lot of time in art of improvisation, I love many things and I just try to follow whatever I happen to think is beautiful or interesting. My creed for artists is to trust their own taste and intuition full-heartedly and not limit themselves to stylistic expectations. My hope is that through offering my life experiences and perception as honestly as possible at the piano, then I can give others something to enjoy or relate to."
Jonathan Hines is currently a performing musician and private educator based in New York, New York. He grew up in Yuma, Arizona, a small town that neighbors the Mexican border and developed an interest in music at a young age. Hines studied piano independently until he attended the University of Arizona in 2017 and studied under the direction of his mentors; pianists Angelo Versace, Fanya Lin, and saxophonist Brice Winston. During his time studying, he began to play jazz professionally all around Arizona - quickly becoming one of first-call jazz pianists in the area. In early 2022, Hines became among the first musicians to perform at The Century Room; establishing himself as a regular pianist at one of the fastest growing jazz clubs in America. Hines relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana in June 2022 and again in February 2024 to New York City to further grow professionally. He continues to perform regularly in a variety of settings, including solo piano playing, leading an ensemble, and as a sideman. His first original EP “Remember” was released September 1st, 2023, featuring Arizona native musicians Alan Acosta, Kenji Ono Lancaster, and Colin McIlrath. His second EP “My Ideal” - a solo piano project, was released on streaming services February 23rd, 2024. Hines has also played alongside acclaimed jazz musicians such as Veronica Swift, Ingrid Jenson, Joe Lovano, Terrell Stafford, and John Riley among others.
On “Remember” (2023): This EP came about in the midst of the most devastating month of my life. All within the same 30 days, I was in a head-on collision, left a long term relationship, and decided to get sober. I left New Orleans, and stayed with some friends of mine in Arizona for a few months who took care of me - that’s when I wrote, recorded, and arranged these tunes. When one abuses alcohol, the general numbness that comes with it represses negative emotions, and the moment one quits drinking, years of regret and sour memories can float to the surface of your mind and you may find yourself forced to remember all of those moments you wish never happened. You can never right your wrongs, but you can forgive yourself and move forward; to me that’s what this music was about. Creating this music for me was the beginning of a healing process of making peace with myself and starting a new life chapter. I owe a lot to my friends Alan Acosta, Kenji Lancaster, & Colin McIlrath for bringing these songs to life.
On “My Ideal” (2024): I really wanted to make a record about women; specifically love, lust, and loss. Women and sex play such an important role in a man’s psychology, decision making, and motivation. I wanted to capture that feeling. The excitement, nervousness, heart-ache, and passion we all experience when engaging with women is one of the most universal and human feelings we can have as men. The first track, “We Were Pure Lovers” is the only original on the EP. I wrote that song about a girl with whom I shared a brief, but intense, and completely impractical relationship with. There was a lot of beauty there so I wanted to put it in a song. I think I am the happiest with my arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “Summer Soft” (track 3) - a tune that really captures that fleeting feeling of love and excitement.