An Unlikely Scott Hamilton

[DMP]

With Duke Robillard and Gene Ludwig! This one came out of left field!

[JSngry]

Why? Hamilton's recorded w/Robillard before.

[Dan Gould]

With Duke Robillard and Gene Ludwig! This one came out of left field!

Not really when you consider Scott and Duke's backgrounds, both geographic and musical. As AMG puts it:

A project long in the making, Across the Tracks finds tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton pairing with journeyman blues guitarist Duke Robillard for a set of burnished lesser-known standards, ballads, and blues. As Rhode Island natives, Hamilton and Robillard crossed paths early on in their careers, with the younger Hamilton drawing inspiration for his own straight-ahead jazz from Robillard's brand of vintage swing, blues, and R&B. Subsequently, Hamilton cut out a niche for himself in the '70s playing swinging acoustic standards and ballads while many jazz musicians were focused on the electric fusion sound. Although the pair have recorded together over the years, Across the Tracks is the first full-length album they've done together. Joining them here are such longtime bandmates as drummer Chuck Riggs, baritone saxophonist Doug James, and Pittsburgh native organist Gene Ludwig. Recorded by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder at the famous Van Gelder Studios in Englewood, NJ, Across the Tracks is easily the bluesiest album Hamilton has done in his career and a warm, earthy vibe permeates the whole proceedings.

That last statement makes me think I will very much enjoy this one, so thanks for the heads up.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

But not, as far as I know, with Gene Ludwig.

Interesting. Haven't heard Hamilton since Humph used to play his stuff a lot in the eighties.

MG

[DMP]

Unlikely for me, anyway, I never thought of Hamilton in the tenor-organ-guitar context. What's next? The Mizell Brothers?

[Dan Gould]

Unlikely for me, anyway, I never thought of Hamilton in the tenor-organ-guitar context. What's next? The Mizell Brothers?

He has recorded an album of Duke compositions with an organ and as its been noted, he and Duke have made guest appearances on each other's records several times in the past. The only really unlikely part of this new recording is Gene Ludwig getting the call on the B3.

[Van Basten II]

Are we talking about this dude ?

[Tom in RI]

Duke Robillard also has a new cd out as of this month, A Swinging Session on Stony Plain, that features Scott Hamilton as a guest.

[theorgangrinder]

The only really unlikely part of this new recording is Gene Ludwig getting the call on the B3.

I guess you're just going to have a get a copy and give it a listen. Not only did Gene Ludwig get the call to do the date, he did a darn fine job! This is actually Gene's third organ date for Bob Porter and Rudy Van Gelder. The material is really well done.

Pattye Ludwig

Edited February 26, 2011 by Gene

[Dan Gould]

The only really unlikely part of this new recording is Gene Ludwig getting the call on the B3.

I guess you're just going to have a get a copy and give it a listen. Not only did Gene Ludwig get the call to do the date, he did a darn fine job! This is actually Gene's second organ date for Bob Porter and Rudy Van Gelder. The material is really well done.

Pattye Ludwig

I have no doubt he did an excellent job. I said he was the unlikely part of the recording because I am unaware that he has played or recorded with Scott or Duke.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

The only really unlikely part of this new recording is Gene Ludwig getting the call on the B3.

I guess you're just going to have a get a copy and give it a listen. Not only did Gene Ludwig get the call to do the date, he did a darn fine job! This is actually Gene's second organ date for Bob Porter and Rudy Van Gelder. The material is really well done.

Pattye Ludwig

I have no doubt he did an excellent job. I said he was the unlikely part of the recording because I am unaware that he has played or recorded with Scott or Duke.

Indeed.

And, if this is a Bob Porter production, I'm putting myself down for my first Scott Hamilton album.

MG

[Dan Gould]

Got this for Christmas, it is definitely a keeper.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Had forgotten. Dan, what label is it on? What's the title? It's not mentioned as far as I've seen.

MG

[Lazaro Vega]

Across the Tracks on Concord.

[mikeweil]

I'm going to see Scott Hamilton on the 13th of March - he's on tour with a German piano trio and passing through town.

What other CDs would you recommend (I just ordered Across the tracks)?

[John Tapscott]

Not sure which Concords are still in print but two I really like are a quartet date called Radio City (w. Gerald Wiggins, Dennis Irwin and Connie Kay), and a duo date with Bucky Pizzarelli called Red Door. Definitely get the latter if you can find it. Any of Hamilton's recent dates on Woodville, either as a sideman or a leader, are very good.

[mikeweil]

Listening to Across the Tracks right now - nice album. The groove reminds me of the album Melvin Rhyne made with Herb Ellis.

I will get me Gene Ludwig's last recording as soon as funds allow ...

Edited March 2, 2011 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

Played this several times today - it's nice, but not more than that. I would like to hear a bit more punch and bite, it all sounds a little too much like a friendly evening jam after a day's work ... Rudy Van Gelder's engineering sounds too tame for me, to polite. The Herb Ellis CD I mentioned has a lot more punch and realism, just sound-wise.

I'm very curious how Hamilton will sound live.

[Dan Gould]

I expect he will sound very good but based on prior experience, I would say the odds are even better that at least one time during the night, he will frown very sharply at his reed.

[JSngry]

the odds are even better that at least one time during the night, he will frown very sharply at his reed.

Frowning is about all you can do w/o getting arrested and/or committed...

[Peter Friedman]

the odds are even better that at least one time during the night, he will frown very sharply at his reed.

Frowning is about all you can do w/o getting arrested and/or committed...

I have seen Scott Hamilton a number of times when he not only would frown at his reed, but take it off and fool with it or replace it a number of times during a set.

Interesting how some saxophone players always seem to be less than satisfied with their reed, while others never seem to show the slightest concern

over their reed?

[mikeweil]

A good reed is hard to find ....

[JSngry]

Impossible, almost. But some are "close enough" whereas others are "almost there".

But most are just shit, period.

[golfcrazy1984]

I've had few GREAT reeds in my life. I usually can get 3-4 to be very good in a box of 10. There are usually 3 crappy reeds in the box that I don't care to even work on to get to play better.

If you don't have a good reed you don't got sh#t.

Funny, I'm not very picky about clarinet reeds...

[Dan Gould]

All things considered, wouldn't it make sense then to test out your reeds, find the ones you can work with, then make sure you've got an "almost there" or "close enough" reed in the instrument when you hit the bandstand? In Hamilton's case, then we'd be spared the endless "WTF" and worse expressions he makes.