I need some more Lionel Hampton

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I've listened to Lionel more than anyone this year. And I've only got the Vogue/BMG "Paris all stars" set and the Mosaic Victors box - but I've bloody HAMMERED them this year! So, since I'm enjoying the music so much, it's about time I got some more.

I had a look at the thread on the Verve box but it's a bit expensive and Amazon UK sellers are all posting it from the US - which means big customs dues on top. So I thought I'd give that a miss for a bit and look for something else. But there's so much stuff listed on Amazon UK - 289 entries! I didn't look through them all

What I'd really like is a box of his big band material on Decca. But I couldn't see one of those in the first few pages.

As an alternative, I know Hamp employed some of my favourite sax players in the fifties - Eddie Chamblee, Red Holloway, King Curtis and Clifford Scott - and some albums with these guys in the band would go down a treat, I reckon. Can anyone suggest any albums featuring any of them?

MG

[Big Beat Steve]

If you want to go the vinyl route, YES!

Those 1941-50 Decca recordings have been out countless times, incuding in two long-lasting series - on German MCA as well as on French/U.S. MCA in their "Jazz Heritage" series. Each one of those series ran to a total of 7 or 8 LP's that included all the commercially released recordings (including some previously unissued tracks in the German series).

Those albums should still be around fairly cheaply in secondhand bins (yes I know these bins are getting rare too) or the usual internet sources.

As for the 50s recordings beyond Verve, I'd recommend the live recordings from the "Olympia" in Paris (also repackaged and reissued countless times), the album from the 1953 European tour on IAJRC and of course his early 50s MGM recordings.

Other goodies are that album with c. 1949 tracks on the Alamac lable (including a very young Wes Montgomery in the lineup) and those Jubilee broadcasts from the 40s (some of them are on an album titled "The Mess Is Here" on some U.K. label - First Heard, maybe?).

Another fun album from the mid-50s is "Hamp In The Old World" where he jazzes up a dozen European traditional folk tunes. Don't know if and where this has been reissued, though.

Actually there's an awful lot of releases/reissues from that era (a lot of them got frequent spins here too recently) but I will have to check tonight at home as I really can't remember all the label details here right now.

More later, therefore.

[king ubu]

The Verve box (I assume you mean the Hampton/Peterson?) is great! The session with Buddy De Franco is da shit, and the rest is mighty great, too!

And yes on those other live albums from Paris! There's a two-volume thing in the Jazz in Paris series that's quite good (the one from 1956 I can't say, been a long time since I played it). The 1953 tour is now also documented on two TCB discs (in their Swiss Radio Days series), don't have them yet, they usually cost a fortune. The Impulse album is also pretty nice.

[king ubu]

Oh, and in a different vein than the pre/proto/actual r'n'b from his wilder years, there's of course the marvellous sessions with Benny Goodman (there's an RCA 3CD box documenting all their studio sessions from the 30s, but I gather there are other ways to get these recodings).

[Pete B]

I'd vote for Lionel Hampton Complete Jazztone Recordings. Superior playing by all involved, including the rarely recorded Oscar Dennard on piano and some of Lucky Thompson's finest playing, imo.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I'd vote for Lionel Hampton Complete Jazztone Recordings. Superior playing by all involved, including the rarely recorded Oscar Dennard on piano and some of Lucky Thompson's finest playing, imo.

That looks pretty good, thanks. A good intro to Lucky Thompson for me, too, as I've only got the poor side he did on the B side of the Jimmy McGriff "Friday 13th".

MG

[Big Beat Steve]

I'd vote for Lionel Hampton Complete Jazztone Recordings. Superior playing by all involved, including the rarely recorded Oscar Dennard on piano and some of Lucky Thompson's finest playing, imo.

Yes, a good recommendation, especially as it will not overlap with other reissue programs (that usually go by label). I hadn't thought of those as (except for the material of about one EP) I have all the original 10 and 12in LPs.

In the same vein, the mid-50s European STUDIO recordings are also worth exploring. The Hamp recorded a LOt in France, for example, but some of these might be harder to track down (beyond the 2 CDs in the "Jazz in Paris" series).

[king ubu]

Yes, that Jazztone set is marvellous! Great playing not only by Lucky Thompson, but also by Jimmy Cleveland, Ray Copeland, Kenwood Dennard and the leader himself. Oscar Pettiford on bass is always an added asset, too! Gus Johnson's on drums, I think... quite a band! It was discussed elsewhere, and mikeweil's another big champion of this session.

[thomastreichler]

The Verve box (I assume you mean the Hampton/Peterson?) is great! The session with Buddy De Franco is da shit, and the rest is mighty great, too!

I second that: The Verve Hampton/Peterson Box is a must have for every fan of Hampton and/or Peterson, great playing by Ray Brown, Buddy Rich, Buddy DeFranco and Herb Ellis too.

[Hot Ptah]

This is an underrated session in my opinion, from the late 1970s, which works better than one might expect:

This is an amazing set all around, with great big band sides, featuring some of the hottest Harry James I have heard, and with many quartet sides with lots of solid Hampton solos:

Edited October 30, 2008 by Hot Ptah

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I'd vote for Lionel Hampton Complete Jazztone Recordings. Superior playing by all involved, including the rarely recorded Oscar Dennard on piano and some of Lucky Thompson's finest playing, imo.

Yes, a good recommendation, especially as it will not overlap with other reissue programs (that usually go by label). I hadn't thought of those as (except for the material of about one EP) I have all the original 10 and 12in LPs.

In the same vein, the mid-50s European STUDIO recordings are also worth exploring. The Hamp recorded a LOt in France, for example, but some of these might be harder to track down (beyond the 2 CDs in the "Jazz in Paris" series).

I've ordered that one, thanks folks.

MG

[Larry Kart]

Don't fail to get "Hamp and Getz."

[Big Beat Steve]

A couple of other items from his Decca period that are worth checking out are concert recordings below.

Hamp & Co. stretch out in these live recordings so they provide a nice contrast to the very condensed, intense 78 rpm-length studio recordings by his regular big band:

Gene Norman's Just Jazz concert (Pasadena, Calif., Aug. 4, 1947) - reissued often, e.g. as "the legendary Stardust concert", etc.

Carnegie All-American Award Concert (April 15, 1945)

[Swinging Swede]

If you like Hampton's Victor recordings, you should also like Benny Goodman's 1936-40 small group recordings where Hamp was an important presence.

Hampton's Deccas have all been released by Classics. I don't know how available they are nowadays but there they are. The Classics volumes also include the V-Discs which allow the band to stretch out beyond the normal three-minute restriction.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

A couple of other items from his Decca period that are worth checking out are concert recordings below.

Hamp & Co. stretch out in these live recordings so they provide a nice contrast to the very condensed, intense 78 rpm-length studio recordings by his regular big band:

Gene Norman's Just Jazz concert (Pasadena, Calif., Aug. 4, 1947) - reissued often, e.g. as "the legendary Stardust concert", etc.

Carnegie All-American Award Concert (April 15, 1945)

Ah, those sound most interesting! Thanks Steve. I'll put them down for early next year (if I remember).

MG