John Hines & Donna DeVine are modern jazz musicians with an unusual combination of melodic jazz trombone and uniquely contemporary jazz vocals. The breadth of their work represents a liberation from the stereotypical jazz norm: while they are comfortably bringing jazz classic standards to a new generation, they are also embracing quality music of more recent years, including arrangements of some of the most contemporary hits. 
 After studying under Ray Smith in Provo, Utah, John played with the internationally known big band, Synthesis, including opening for Gerry Mulligan at the 1988 Montreux Jazz Festival, and for Carlos Santana at the 1988 Antibes Jazz Festival outside Monte Carlo, France. 
 In 2004, John was signed to the Capri Records label, and released his first major CD, 'In The Pocket,' which was met with significant critical acclaim. The title song, an original by Hines, was a finalist in the 2005 International Songwriter Competition in the Jazz category. His most recent work, ‘Emergence,’ is a reach into the smooth jazz idiom to lighten the mood of 2029. 
 His playing has been described as being a mix of Curtis Fuller and Steve Turre, but with an almost “vocal quality” that makes him easy to access and internalize. And his compositions and arrangements are all solidly rooted in jazz melodies which feel good to the listener. Think of him as the “Chuck Mangione of the modern jazz trombone.”