Introduction to Milt Hinton's Datebooks
These datebooks are part the Milton J. and Mona C. Hinton Collection held at the Oberlin Conservatory Library. To request access to the collection or to inquire about collection details, please contact Conservatory Library special collections staff.
It was a chance encounter with the entertainer Jackie Gleason -- someone Milt worked with when he was just starting out -- that gave Milt his first big break in the New York studios. As a result, he became of the few African Americans to play in the studios on a regular basis. His exceptional professionalism, musicianship, and reliability made him a trusted resource, and soon he helped other aspiring musicians like George Duvivier, Clark Terry, and Richard Davis follow in his path.
By the mid-1950s Milt was a first-call bassist in the New York studio scene. He played on more than a dozen record dates each week, documenting them all in small datebooks he always carried in his shirt pocket. From historic sessions with jazz's greats to playing with some of pop music's biggest stars to making movie sound tracks and commercial jingles, the studios provided a range of musical opportunities for Milt.
-from Playing the Changes: The Life & Legacy of Milt Hinton