Jazz: Fatha Knows Best

Step up and take a look at the U.S.'s latest secret weapon. A hot missile? No, a cool cat—Earl ("Fatha") Hines, jazz pianist nonpareil. Fatha and his sextet were midway through a six-week cultural swing through Russia last week when the Soviets decided that he was just too culturally dangerous. Perhaps it was because Hines & Co. had been wowing S.R.O. audiences everywhere. In Kiev, 10,000 youngsters had packed the Sports Palace, and Hines stirred up a swirling, rhythmic turbulence that had the Russians snapping their fingers like Hollywood hippies.

With that,...