Cliff Hines....

“A multi-hued tapestry rich in East Asian mystique. Lush and eloquent, never brash nor naive… jazz that is at the same time exuberant and expressive, subtle and supple” – Aaron Lafont, Offbeat Magazine

Cliff Hines is a progressive jazz guitarist and composer from New Orleans, LA. He attended the renowned arts high school NOCCA from 2003-2007 and later became a teacher there from 2007-2010. His quintet (all of whom are NOCCA alum) features vocalist Sasha Masakowski, drummer Paul Thibodeaux, bassist Jasen Weaver, and pianist Andrew McGowan.

As a bandleader, he has toured as far as New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts (Harvard University), Texas (South by Southwest), Utah (The Orion Music Festival), and Oregon. He has also performed as a sideman at the Marciac Jazz Festival (Marciac, France), the High Sierra Music Festival (Quincy, CA), and multiple years at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

He has shared the stage with such heavyweights as Mike Dillon, Skerik, Marco Benevento, Stanton Moore, Johnny Vidacovich, Tony Clifton, Brian Haas and Mark Southerland (of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey), John Speice (of Grupo Fantasma), Helen Gillet and has opened for a diverse group of acts such as Talib Kweli, Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band), Big Sam’s Funky Nation, and Eric Lindell.

His first record “Like Mystics of Old” was released in 2009, and his second, “Wanderlust” (feat. New Orleans legends James Singleton, Bill Summers, Kent Jordan, and more) is being released January 2013. He is currently touring with The Mike Dillon Band as their bassist/guitarist/keyboard player, their debut album “Urn” is due in September 2012.