Lionel Hampton

Lionel Hampton

Source: El Mirador Nocturno

Born on 20 April 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky, Lionel Hampton was a no-joke drummer though he more distinguished himself with the vibraphone. He also played piano. Born to a single mother who raised him largely in Chicago, he was nineteen or twenty years old when he left the windy city for California to drum for the Dixieland Blues-Blowers.

Hampton's earliest recordings are estimated to have been circa November 1924 in Hollywood with Reb's Legion Club Forty Fives: 'Steppin' High' ('Mammy's Blues') and 'Shefield Blues'. Those likely weren't released until far later on what Tom Lord lists as Arcadia 2001 and VJM VLP6. Hampton entered the studio again in April of 1929 with Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders in Culver City, California. The first session that month for Victor went unissued: 'Overnight Blues' and 'Quality Shout'. The next two, however, yielded 'The Ramble', 'Midnight Blues, 'Charlie's Idea', two takes of 'Overnight Blues', 'Quality Shout' and 'Stuff'.

'My Mammy's Blues' ('Steppin' High')   Reb's Legion Club Forty-Fives

Recorded Nov 1924 in Hollywood

Trumpet: Andrew Blakeney / Russell Massingale or George Orendorff

Trombone: Leon White or Edgar Williams

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Les Hite / William Calhoun / Reb Spikes (bass)

Piano: Gene Wright   Guitar / banjo: Bill Perkins

Tuba: Max Shaw   Drums: Hampton

See the 2016 compilation 'West Coast Jazz' per Jazz Oracle BDW8071: All Music   Discogs

'Sheffield Blues'   Reb's Legion Club Forty-Fives

Recorded Nov 1924 in Hollywood

Trumpet: Andrew Blakeney / Russell Massingale or George Orendorff

Trombone: Leon White or Edgar Williams

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Les Hite / William Calhoun / Reb Spikes (bass)

Piano: Gene Wright   Guitar / banjo: Bill Perkins

Tuba: Max Shaw   Drums: Hampton   Vocal: William Calhoun

See the 2016 compilation 'West Coast Jazz' per Jazz Oracle BDW8071: All Music   Discogs

'The Ramble'   Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders

Recorded 28 April 1929 in Culver City CA   Victor V38068

Trumpet: George Orendorff   Trombone: Lawrence Brown (arrangement)

Clarinet / alto sax: Charlie Lawrence   Tenor sax: Paul Howard

Piano: Harvey Brooks   Guitar / banjo: Thomas Valentine

Tuba: James Jackson   Drums: Hampton

Composition: Charlie Lawrence

Hampton continued with Howard until another big name came his way in Los Angeles, his first session with Louis Armstrong on July 31, 1930. That was with Armstrong's Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra yielding 'I'm a Ding Dong Daddy' and 'I'm in the Market for You'. Hampton hung with Armstrong's bands until the latter's Polynesians on 18 August 1936 ('To You Sweetheart Aloha' and 'On a Coconut Island').

'Memories of You'   Louis Armstrong and His Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra

Recorded 16 Oct 1930 in Los Angeles   Okeh 41463

Trumpet: Louis Armstrong (vocal) / George Orendorff / Harold Scott

Trombone: Luther Sonny Craven

Clarinet or sax: Les Hite / Marvin Johnson / Charlie Jones

Piano: Henry Prince   Guitar / banjo: Bill Perkins

Tuba / string bass: Joe Bailey   Drums / vibes: Hampton

Music: Eubie Blake   Lyrics: Andy Razaf   1930

Hampton held his first session with Benny Goodman on August 21 1936 toward 'St. Louis Blues', Love Me or Leave Me', Bugle Call' and 'Moonglow'. He also recorded with Teddy Wilson and Helen Ward as Vera Lane that month. Hampton stuck with Goodman into 1940, by which time his own orchestra was in full swing.

Hampton is thought to have laid his first tracks as a leader on February 8, 1937, in New York City yielding 'My Last Affair' (two takes), 'Jivin' the Vibes', 'The Mood That I'm In' and 'Stomp'. His release of 'After You've Gone' charted on Billboard at #6 in 1937. Hampton issued 12 titles with his orchestra that reached the Top Ten to as late as 'Rag Mop' at #7 in Pop and #4 on the R&B in 1950. His overall best-selling title was his composition 'Flyin' Home' in 1942. 'Hamp's Boogie Woogie' topped the R&B at #1 in 1944 along with 'Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop' in 1946. Hampton's Top Tens:

    1937 #6 Pop   After You've Gone
   1939 #10 Pop   Wizzin' the Wiz
   1943 #3 R&B   Flying Home (version)
   1943 #9 R&B   Flying Home (version)
   1944 #10 R&B   On the Sunny Side of the Street
   Sep 1944 #18 Pop #1 R&B    Hamp's Boogie Woogie
   1945 #2 R&B   Beulah's Boogie
   March 1946 #9 Pop #1 R&B   Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
   1947 #5 R&B   Blow-Top Blues
   1947 #7 R&B   I Want to Be Loved (But Only by You)
   1950 #6 R&B   Everybody's Somebody's Fool
   Feb 1950 #7 Pop #4 R&B   Rag Mop

'My Last Affair'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Hampton's first recording leading his orchestra

Recorded 8 Feb 1937 in NYC   Victor 25527

Trumpet: Ziggy Elman

Alto sax: Hymie Schertzer / George Koenig

Tenor sax: Vido Musso   Arthur Rollini

Piano: Jess Stacy   Guitar: Allan Reuss

String bass: Harry Goodman   Drums: Gene Krupa   Vibes / vocal: Hampton

Composition: Haven Johnson

'On the Sunny Side of the Street'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Recorded 26 April 1937 in NYC   Victor 25592

Clarinet: Buster Bailey   Alto sax: Johnny Hodges

Piano: Jess Stacy   Guitar: Allan Reuss

String bass: John Kirby   Drums: Cozy Cole   Vibes / vocal: Hampton

Music: Jimmy McHugh   Lyrics: Dorothy Fields   1930

'I Got a Heartful of Music'   Benny Goodman Quartet   Film: 'Hollywood Hotel'

Recorded July-Aug 1937 in Hollywood   Released 15 Jan 1938

Clarinet: Goodman   Piano: Teddy Wilson

Drums: Gene Krupa   Vibes: Hampton

Composition: Johnny Mercer / Richard A. Whiting

'It Don't Mean a Thing'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Recorded 3 April 1939 in NYC   Take 1 of 2   Victor 26254

Trumpet: Irving Mouse Randolph

Clarinet / sax: Hymie Schertzer / Russell Procope / Jerry Jerome / Chu Berry (tenor)

Piano: Clyde Hart   Guitar: Allan Reuss

String bass: Milt Hinton   Drums: Cozy Cole   Vibes / vocal: Hampton

Arrangement: Fred Norman

Composition: Duke Ellington / Irving Mills

'Memories of You'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Recorded 13 June 1939 in NYC   Matrix 037630-1    Victor 26304

Cornet: Rex Stewart   Trombone: Lawrence Brown

Baritone sax: Harry Carney   Piano: Clyde Hart

String bass: Billy Taylor Sr.   Drums: Sonny Greer   Vibes: Hampton

Music: Eubie Blake   Lyrics: Andy Razaf   1930

'The Jumpin' Jive'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Recorded 13 June 1939 in NYC   Matrix 037631-1    Victor 26304

Cornet: Rex Stewart   Trombone: Lawrence Brown

Baritone sax: Harry Carney   Piano: Clyde Hart

String bass: Billy Taylor Sr.   Drums: Sonny Greer   Vibes / vocal: Hampton

Composition: Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Cab Calloway / Frank Froeba / Jack Palmer

'Early Session Hop'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Recorded 11 Sep 1939 in NYC   Victor 26393

Trumpet: Dizzy Gillespie   Alto sax: Benny Carter (arrangement)

Tenor sax: Coleman Hawkins / Chu Berry / Ben Webster

Piano: Clyde Hart   Guitar: Charlie Christian

String bass: Milt Hinton   Drums: Cozy Cole   Vibes: Hampton

Composition: Buster Harding / Teddy Wilson

'AC-DC Current'   Benny Goodman Sextet

Recorded 20 Dec 1939 in NYC   JSP 909 in 2002

Clarinet: Goodman

Piano: Johnny Guarnieri   Guitar (electric): Charlie Christian

String bass: Artie Bernstein   Drums: Nick Fatool   Vibes: Hampton

Composition: Christian / Goodman / Hampton

'Flying Home' ('Homeward Bound')   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Recorded 26 Feb 1940 in Chicago   Matrix 044726-1   Victor 26595

Trumpet: Ziggy Elman   Alto sax: Toots Mondello / Buff Estes

Tenor sax: Jerry Jerome / Budd Johnson

Piano: Spencer Odun   Guitar: Ernest Ashley

String bass: Artie Bernstein   Drums: Nick Fatool   Vibes: Hampton

Composition: Benny Goodman / Lionel Hampton   1939

'Save It Pretty Mama'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Recorded 26 Feb 1940 in Chicago   Matrix 044727-1   Victor 26595

Trumpet: Ziggy Elman   Alto sax: Toots Mondello / Buff Estes

Tenor sax: Jerry Jerome / Budd Johnson

Piano: Spencer Odun   Guitar: Ernest Ashley

String bass: Artie Bernstein   Drums: Nick Fatool   Vibes: Hampton

Composition: Don Redman

'Central Avenue Breakdown'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Recorded 10 May 1940 in Hollywood   Victor 26652

Piano: Hampton / Nat King Cole

Guitar: Oscar Moore   String bass: Wesley Prince   Drums: Al Spieldock

Composition: Hampton

'Bogo Jo'   Lionel Hampton Sextette

Recorded 20 Dec 1940 in Hollywood   Victor 27341

Clarinet / alto sax: Marshal Royal   Piano: Sir Charles Thompson

Violin (electric): Ray Perry   Guitar: Irving Ashby

String bass: Vernon Alley   Drums: Lee Young

Vocals: Hampton and Evelyn Myers (Hampton Rhythm Girls)

Composition: Hampton

Among vocalists with whom Hampton worked was Dinah Washington from 1943 to 1946. His composition, 'Ridin' on the L&N' arrived in 1946. He would back Annie Ross during his European tour of 1953.

'I'm a Slick Chick'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra backing Dinah Washington

AFRS radio broadcast 'One Night Stand' 443 on 5 Sep 1944

Trianon Ballroom in Southgate CA

Composition: Harvey Brooks

On the Washington compilations:

 'The Early Years' per Mr. Music MMCD-7037

'Slick Chick on the Mellow Side' per Mercury 814 184 1

'Ridin' On The L & N'   Lionel Hampton and His Quartet

30 Jan 1946 in NYC   Decca 23839 / Coral 6.22116

Piano: Dan Burley   Guitar: Billy Mackel

String bass: Charlie Harris   Drums: George Jenkins

Vibes / vocal: Hampton

Composition: Burley / Hampton

'Stealing Apples'   Lionel Hampton w Sammy Kaye and Benny Goodman

Film: 'A Song Is Born' directed by Howard Hawks   Released 19 Oct 1948

Composition: Fats Waller 1936   First recorded by Fletcher Henderson 1936

'Kingfish'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra   Big band

Recorded 17 Oct 1951 in Los Angeles   MGM 11227

Trumpet: Benny Bailey / Quincy Jones / Leo Shepherd / Ed Mullens / Walter Williams

Trombone: Jimmy Cleveland / Al Grey / Paul Lee / Benny Powell

Alto sax: Bobby Plater / Jerome Richardson   Tenor sax: Curtis Lowe

Baritone sax: Curtis Lowe / Ben Kynard   Piano: Milt Buckner

 Guitar: Billy Mackel   String bass: Roy Johnson

Drums: Ellis Bartee   Vibes: Hampton

Composition: Quincy Jones

'Flying Home' (Homeward Bound')   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

'The Big Record' television broadcast hosted by Patti Page 1957

Composition: Benny Goodman / Lionel Hampton

Hampton had married Gladys Riddle in Yuma, Arizona, on 11 November 1936 who became his business manager. She later founded Glad-Hamp Records which first issue was 'The Many Sides of Hamp' on GHLP-1001 in 1961. This is a more popularly oriented album mix of jazz with Jewish themes. Gladys ran the business portion of Hampton's operation as Lionel Hampton Enterprises until her death in 1971, succeeded by Bill Titone, after which Hampton never remarried.

'The Many Sides of Lionel Hampton'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra   Album

Recorded c 1958 in Tel-Aviv, Israel   Glad-Hamp GHLP1001

Initial album release by the Glad-Hamp label

Trumpet: Andrew Wood / Dave Gonzales / Floyd Jones / Virgil Jones

Trombone: George Jeffers / Haleem Rasheed / Vincente Prudente Jr.

Clarinet / sax: Bobby Plater   Tenor sax: King Curtis

Sax: Andrew McGhee / Eddie Pazant / Herman Green / Lonnie Shaw

Piano: Harold Mabern / Ram Ramirez / Tommy Flanagan

 Guitar: John Pizzarelli / Calvin Newborn / Kenny Burrell

String bass: George Duvivier / Lawrence Burgan / Milt Hinton

Drums: Osie Johnson / Ronnie Zito / Wilbert Hogan

Vibes: Hampton   Vocals: Regina Ben-Amittay

'Vibe Boogie'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Recorded 1962 in Japan   Glad-Hamp GHS1020

Composition: Hampton   See 'The Works' Groove Merchant GM-4400 1975

The all-star group backing his 1964 album, 'You Better Know It!!!', consisted of Ben Webster (tenor sax), Clark Terry (trumpet), Hank Jones (piano), Milt Hinton (bass) and Osie Johnson at drums:

'Trick Or Treat'   Lionel Hampton

 From the Hampton album 'You Better Know It!!!'

Recorded 26/28/29 Oct 1964 in NYC   Impulse A-78

Composition: Manny Albam

Hampton was a Republican and had worked to raise money for Israel. He also became involved in philanthropic housing projects in New York and New Jersey during the sixties. A couple of the live performances below are difficult to identify beyond their hosts at YouTube. The 'Jazz Harmonie' French television broadcast of 1970 is a ghost in some arcane archive somewhere beyond Bryson-Dean's channel. 'Air Mail Special' of 1982 per Peter Varillas is also nowhere to be found except with a date of 1980 per 'The Golden Classics of Jazz: The Best of the Big Bands' / Copyright Collection of the All Star Video Corporation / Betamax VAA 0369. One could get tricked into thinking these reference the same though perhaps not [Google Books / Internet Archive / LOC].

'Jazz Harmonie'   Lionel Hampton

 French television broadcast 26 Feb 1970

Personnel possibly in the neighborhood of:

Trumpet: Wallace Davenport   Alto sax: Pete Yellin   Tenor sax: Charles McLinden

Piano: John Sprull Jr.   Guitar: Billy Mackel

String bass: Lawrence Burgan   Drums: Kenneth Bolds

'Them Changes'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra

Sometime 1971 for the album 'Them Changes' on Brunswick BL-754182 in 1972

Album personnel:

Trumpet: Eli Rivers / Phillip Trees Ogletree (piano)   Trombone: Sid Ogletree

Sax: J.J. Adams / Ralph Favors (flute)

Piano: Harold Mabern / Ram Ramirez / Tommy Flanagan

 Guitar: Freddie Terrell / Lee Moses (organ)

String bass: Steve Rushin / Lee Moses

Organ: Lee Moses   Drums: Charles Edwards

Vocals: The Chimes (Doris McClure / Naimi Finley / Carole Donia)

'Them Changes' composition: Buddy Miles

'Sea Breeze'   Lionel Hampton w Chick Corea (piano)

From the album 'Chick & Lionel Live at Midem'

Recorded 22 Jan 1978 in Paris & Feb 1978 at the 'Midem Festival' in Cannes

Album personnel:

Trumpet: Johnny Grimes   Clarinet / baritone sax / tenor sax: Haywood Henry

Piano: Cliff Smalls   Bass: Leonard Gaskin

Drums: Oliver Jackson   Vocals: Gayle Moran

Vocals: The Chimes (Doris McClure / Naimi Finley / Carole Donia)

'Sea Breeze' composition: Chick Corea

'Air Mail Special'   Lionel Hampton w combined big bands

Video of 1980 / 1982 ?   Possibly Betamax VAA 0369 (refs above)

Composition: Benny Goodman / James Mundy / Charlie Christian

'Mack the Knife'   Lionel Hampton Orchestra   Video

7 July 1990 at the Montreal Jazz Festival

Trumpet: Ron Fox / Gerald Brazel / Reggie Pittman / Chris Albert

Trombone: Charles Stephens Steve Armour Greg Pryor Jeff Nelson

Sax: Mark Gross / Cleave Guyton / Andres Boiarsky / Bob Sands / Alex Stewart

Piano: Ray Gallon   Bass: Billy Johnson   Drums: Wally Gator

Composition: Kurt Weill w lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for 'The Threepenny Opera' 1928

In 1987 the University of Idaho named its music department the Lionel Hampton School of Music. Ironically per his efforts in housing, in 1997 Hampton's own apartment caught fire and his possessions destroyed. On the 24th of July of 1998 Hampton celebrated his birthday with a performance at the White House with President Bill Clinton (saxophone) [AP Archive]:

Lionel Hampton's 90th birthday celebration w the Clintons at the White House   Video

24 July 1998

Hampton recorded his final album, '90th Birthday Celebration', in May of 1999 toward Twinz Records CD897. He is thought to have made his final recordings on 19 December 2000 with Jim Martinez & Friends, contributing vibes to the album, 'Praise Him With Jazz' (Invisible Touch CD005). Hampton died of heart failure in New York City in 2002. He'd been a 33rd degree Mason, thus associated for above fifty years, and had later become involved with Christian Science.