Lionel Hampton

This impossible-to-find LP from the 1950s contains two fine selections featuring a quartet comprised of Lionel Hampton, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown and Buddy Rich but is most memorable for the other two numbers which add the great clarinetist Buddy DeFranco to the band. Their version of "It's Only a Paper Moon" is remarkably uptempo and really swings hard; Hampton challenges his fellow legends to some spectacular playing.

Although firmly identified with Benny Goodman and the swing era, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton led one of the most bop-oriented and forward-looking big bands of the mid-to-late '40s; for proof of that check out "Mingus Fingers" (by Charles Mingus) on this CD. This set reissues some of Hampton's most boppish sides from 1946-47 along with the original version of "Midnight Sun" and is full of extroverted solos and exciting ensembles. Although tenorman Arnett Cobb (heard in the earlier selections) and pianist Milt Buckner are the best-known sidemen, such musicians as the screaming trumpeters Jimmy Nottingham and Leo "the Whistler" Sheppard and tenors Morris Lane, John Sparrow and the young Johnny Griffin provide their own strong moments.

During one of his many tours of Europe, Lionel Hampton assembled a group of all-stars for this 1956 studio session, adding a number of top European players to his regular group. The vibraphonist has the lion's share of solos, dominating the 11-plus-minute interpretation of "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" and showing off a bit with his unique style of playing piano on several selections, including a romp through "Regina's Drag" (which is the same as "12th Street Rag"). "New Saint-Louis Blues" is just an updated version of W.C. Handy's signature tune, with a vocal by Hampton and sassy muted trumpet by Ed Mullens. This date might have been a bit more memorable with more solo features for the vibraphonist's sidemen, but it is hard to overpower one of the greatest jazz showmen of all time.

For his debut on the MoJazz label, the ancient vibraphonist Lionel Hampton was featured with several groups, some more suitable than others. Keyboardist Patrice Rushen largely ruins a funky rendition of "Flying Home" and several of the other songs (the inspid "Jazz Me" and Chaka Khan's feature on "Gossamer Wings") are little more than throwaways. Better is Hampton's collaboration with Tito Puente's band on "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" and his original "Mojazz" even if Grover Washington, Jr., sounds as if he is on automatic pilot on "Another Part of Me."

Lionel Hampton is one of the most extraordinary musicians of the 20th century and his artistic achievements symbolize the impact that jazz music has had on our culture in the 21st century.
As a composer and arranger, Hampton wrote more than 200 works, including the jazz standards "Flying Home", "Evil Gal Blues", and "Midnight Sun". He also composed the major symphonic work, "King David Suite".
His lifetime of "swinging" is well documented through hundreds of recordings, many of which rank among the best in jazz, and all of which will be housed and studied inside the Lionel Hampton Center in Moscow, Idaho, slated to open in 2006.