" data-original-title="" title="">Milt Hinton, a showcase for the latter's finely crafted eighteenth-century Italian instrument, and a piece of documentary evidence indicative of the high value that the Oberlin Conservatory places on its Hinton holdings.

Dominguez first spoke with Hinton in 1980, but it was an encounter the following year that cemented their friendship: While competing in the Zimmerman/Mingus Double Bass Competition, Dominguez connected with Hinton, who was on sight as a judge and featured artist, and the pair spent some quality time together. They bonded over the bass and the music, becoming fast friends. Then, in the '90s, Dominguez, who was on the faculty of Michigan State University at the time, brought Hinton out for a residency, and the pair then stayed in touch for the remainder of Hinton's life. That could've been the end of the story, but fate had other plans.

Dominguez eventually left Michigan behind and moved on to Oberlin Conservatory, where one fine day he was contacted by the co-executor of Milt Hinton's estate—David Berger. A fruitful relationship was formed from that initial connection and, with the blessing and institutional support provided by the school, many of Hinton's personal belongings—including the instrument heard on this recording—came to rest at Oberlin.

In the years since the instrument's arrival at the school, it's been used to good effect in numerous performance situations by a long string of A-list bassists—Dominguez,