Lionel Hampton on Verve

[montg]

I have a single CD from this set (the one with Buddy Defranco) and for the longest time it mostly sat unperturbed on my shelf. But recently I gave it a spin and something clicked and I've really been enjoying this; Hamp swings like crazy and seems to never run out of ideas. I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions about the complete 5 set CD. Is it worth 60 or 70 bucks or do the sessions tend to run together in sameness after a while? How's the sound? Thanks

Edited July 13, 2006 by montg

[Stereojack]

I have a single CD from this set (the one with Buddy Defranco) and for the longest time it mostly sat unperturbed on my shelf. But recently I gave it a spin and something clicked and I've really been enjoying this; Hamp swings like crazy and seems to never run out of ideas. I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions about the complete 5 set CD. Is it worth 60 or 70 bucks or do the sessions tend to run together in sameness after a while? How's the sound? Thanks

I owned most of this on individual LP's for years, and did pick up this set when it came out. Yes, one might say that there is a certain saminess to it, as with any boxed set, but it does swing like crazy, as you say; Hamp is on all through it, the tracks with Buddy DeFranco are exceptional, and Oscar Peterson is the perfect pianist for this kind of thing. I found the sound to be fine.

[Harold_Z]

The set is a swingfest from beginning to end. Hamp is one driving MF.

[Chuck Nessa]

What they said. Jack's mini review hits the nail on the head.

[JSngry]

You talk about "underrated", I think that Lionel Hampton is severely underrated as a creative musician.

A lot of that, he brought on himself, for sure (not that he cared, I doubt he did), but still...

[Big Al]

WHY did you have to start this thread, montg? WHY did Jack and Harold and Chuck have to give this such glowing reviews? WHY don't I ever resist temptation to read threads like this? WHY do I go over to the Verve web page, and WHY do I listen to clips from this set?

Check back in a few weeks or so to hear me whine about WHY do I resist the temptation to buy this box?

Edited July 13, 2006 by Big Al

[B. Goren.]

You talk about "underrated", I think that Lionel Hampton is severely underrated as a creative musician.

To be honest, the reason I bought it is Oscar Peterson but I agree with what have been said about Hamp. This set is a treasure.

[Hot Ptah]

Hampton's 1956 sessions with Oscar Pettiford are also excellent. He could really play some great music when the situation was right.

[montg]

WHY did you have to start this thread, montg? WHY did Jack and Harold and Chuck have to give this such glowing reviews? WHY don't I ever resist temptation to read threads like this? WHY do I go over to the Verve web page, and WHY do I listen to clips from this set?

Check back in a few weeks or so to hear me whine about WHY do I resist the temptation to buy this box?

Believe me, I feel your pain. Those glowing comments seal the deal for me--the problem is, the OJC fire sale has just set me back big time in terms of budget. So this set will have to wait a little bit for me, but not too long.

[Larry Kart]

Some very good stuff here, but don't miss the Hampton-Granz date that's not on it, "Hamp and Getz." "Cherokee" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside" in particular are on fire, and the rhythm section -- Lou Levy, Leroy Vinnegar, and Shelly Manne -- is, in case I haven't said it before, on fire. BTW, am I the only who hears some passing kinship or overlap between Hampton and Monk, on what, for want of a better term, could be called the rhythm-melody level?

[garthsj]

I have had this set for some time now (see my avatar ... so what else is new?) and just LOVE this music. What I miss however are the original David Stone Martin covers for several of these albums. My scanner is being replaced so I cannot scan them in ... Can some kind soul find the time to give me that pleasure once again ?

[sidewinder]

Who needs the David Stone Martin covers when you can get a hairshirt binding !

[garthsj]

Who needs the David Stone Martin covers when you can get a hairshirt binding !

Yes, I agree ... this is certainly one of the Verve "award winning" design department's greatest hits!

Edited July 14, 2006 by garthsj

[neveronfriday]

One of the best in my collection.

[king ubu]

c'mon, stop that!!! I still haven't ever seen a decently priced copy of this and if you continue pushing, I'll have to consider paying the 60 or 70 € this seems to go for...

[neveronfriday]

I'll have to consider paying the 60 or 70 € this seems to go for...

Yep.

[king ubu]

I'll have to consider paying the 60 or 70 € this seems to go for...

Yep.

Not now... I ordered another package of Fantasy/OJC 3 € discs a couple of days ago (another 100 € gone).

[Niko]

Not now... I ordered another package of Fantasy/OJC 3 € discs a couple of days ago (another 100 € gone).

i prefer to call them Fantasy/OJC 2,99 € discs

Edited July 14, 2006 by Niko

[king ubu]

Not now... I ordered another package of Fantasy/OJC 3 € discs a couple of days ago (another 100 € gone).

i prefer to call them Fantasy/OJC 2,99 € discs

well you know, I never fell for that trick... but there are some 2 € ones, too (you'd call them 1,99 € ones, I assume )

(edited for typo)

Edited July 14, 2006 by king ubu

[mikeweil]

Hampton's 1956 sessions with Oscar Pettiford are also excellent. He could really play some great music when the situation was right.

I still hope for some Iberian edition of these ..... some of the best Hamp I know.

[Niko]

well you know, I never fell for that trick... but there are some 2 € ones, too (you'd call them 1,99 € ones, I assume )

(edited for typo)

admittedly, buy 299 get 1 free doesn't sound like a great offer... strange thing is, i think, that inbetween all those 2,99 and some 1,99 CDs there is one CD, Stan Getz "Quartets" which is supposed to cost 3,99 - I am constantly tempted to buy it just to find out why... but have resisted so far

[king ubu]

Hampton's 1956 sessions with Oscar Pettiford are also excellent. He could really play some great music when the situation was right.

I still hope for some Iberian edition of these ..... some of the best Hamp I know.

That would be the date with Oscar Dennard, Ray Copeland, Jimmy Cleveland, Lucky Thompson etc.? I'd definitely like to hear that one in its entirety!

[king ubu]

well you know, I never fell for that trick... but there are some 2 € ones, too (you'd call them 1,99 € ones, I assume )

(edited for typo)

admittedly, buy 299 get 1 free doesn't sound like a great offer... strange thing is, i think, that inbetween all those 2,99 and some 1,99 CDs there is one CD, Stan Getz "Quartets" which is supposed to cost 3,99 - I am constantly tempted to buy it just to find out why... but have resisted so far

No reason, I assume... it's one of the digipack remasterings thus I didn't buy it...

[mikeweil]

Hampton's 1956 sessions with Oscar Pettiford are also excellent. He could really play some great music when the situation was right.

I still hope for some Iberian edition of these ..... some of the best Hamp I know.

That would be the date with Oscar Dennard, Ray Copeland, Jimmy Cleveland, Lucky Thompson etc.? I'd definitely like to hear that one in its entirety!

Yes, that's the session - part of it was a quartet setting. Two Lps worth of music, I have only two thirds of it from scratchy LPs and a not so great sounding Musidisc CD.

[king ubu]

I'll have to consider paying the 60 or 70 € this seems to go for...

Yep.

Got it from newbury comics (via amazon.com) for 65 bucks, all inclusive - not bad, considering how cheap the $$ is...

And I finally played the first two discs last night, and wow! Great music! Probaby the first time I really dug Oscar Peterson (he doesn't bother me when playing behind Prez or Hawk or Ben, but I don't exactly wait for his solos...), but Hamp is indeed "on" all of the time, what an amazing flow of ideas! The rhythmical momentum he creates is infectuous, and Buddy Rich suits in there just right, too! Not to forget Ray Brown... definitely a great box set to have!