- Hampton Stomp
- My Last Affair
- Drum Stomp (Crazy Rhythm)
- Shoe Shiner’s Drag
- The Jumpin’ Jive (Jim Jam Jump)
- When Lights are Low
- Four or Five Times
- Central Avenue Breakdown
- Jack the Bellboy
- Blue Because of You
- A Ghost of a Chance
- Martin on Every Block
- Pig Foot Sonata
- Altitude
- Bouncing at the Beacon
- Chasin’ with Chase
- Three-Quarter Boogie
- Hamp’s Boogie Woogie
- Beulah’s Boogie
- Air Mail Special
Lionel Hampton defined the
way the Vibraphone should be played in jazz,
since that time the style has been modified
by others, but none has outshone Hamp on his
chosen instrument.
During the period covered
by this record, he was given licence by Victor
Records, to record as he pleased, with jazz
musicians who happened to be in LA at the
time. There was of course the usual pressure
for commercial success, so a few of the tracks
have vocals, but even those tracks contain
some superb playing from the many stars Hamp
selected for these recording sessions. An
example of this is some fine baritone sax
from Harry Carney from the Ellington Band
on Jumpin’ Jive.
Track 6 is a real all star
affair with Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter,
Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Chu Berry and
Charlie Christian all involved. The following
track has some fine tenor sax from Ben Webster
as well as some fine vibes work from the leader.
Tracks 8 and 9 pair Hamp
with Nat King Cole in a quartet where he sometimes
plays piano and sometimes drums, he was of
course a fine drummer and pianist as well
as being master of the vibes.
On tracks 10 & 11 the
size of the band is reduced to just three
with Cole on piano, Oscar Moore on guitar
and Hamp on vibes, or so the sleeve note says,
but I can hear a bass player! As the track
was recorded in 1947, it is more than possible
that the personnel records were not that accurate.
I particularly like the track that has this
combo playing Ghost of a Chance, it has always
been a nice tune. It also has a female vocalist
who is not identified. Billie Holliday? Or
does someone reading this know better!
Tracks 12 & 13 are Hampton
originals and the band swings its way nicely
through them, I particularly liked the piano
work of Marlowe Morris.
Tracks 14 & 15 have Marshall
Royal on clarinet and alto and Sir Charles
Thompson on piano. There is also a nice contribution
from Irving Ashby on guitar. The same group,
with the addition of trumpeter Karl George,
continues to be featured on tracks 16 &
17 and the violin playing of Ray Perrin should
be mentioned although he is not heavily feature.
The last three tracks feature
the Lionel Hampton Big Band, one of the longest
running big bands in jazz and they are typical
Hampton fare, always swinging and presented
with great style, lots of riffs and displaying
some superb instrumental talent Air Mail Special
always stole the show and it does so here!
To any one not familiar with
the work of Lionel Hampton, this CD will give
them a chance to catch up. I am familiar with
Lionel Hampton’s work and I enjoyed this music
from one of the real greats of jazz.
Don Mather
CD Reviews
NAXOS JAZZ LEGENDS 8.120651
