Lionel Hampton

Lionel Hampton was born Lionel Leo Hampton on April 20, 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky. His family moved to Chicago in 1916 where he started out playing drums.

Hampton moved to California in the late 1920's and made his recording debut with Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders. After leaving Howard, he played drums with the Les Hite band and it was during this period that he learned the vibraphone. In 1930, Louis Armstrong asked Lionel to play vibraphone on two songs and his career as a vibraphonist began.

In 1936, Benny Goodman heard Hampton and asked him to join his now famous Benny Goodman Quartet. But in 1940 he left Goodman to form his own Band. During the 1940's and 1950's Hampton"s Band became very popular.

Hamp continued to perform and record actively right up until he had a stroke on stage at a Paris concert in 1991. He died from Congestive Heart Failure on August 31, 2002 in New York City.

Earlier today, I listened to "Live At the Muzeval." This concert took place in Emmen, Holland on May 13, 1978. The Band members include Lionel Hampton on vibraphone, Joe Newman and Victor Paz on trumpets, Eddie Chamblee on alto sax, Paul Moen on tenor sax, Wild Bill Davis on piano and organ, Bill Mackel on guitar, Barry Smith on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums.

The tunes include "Airmail Special," "Moments Notice," "Giant Steps," "Flying Home," and "Hamp's Boogie Woogie," among others.

This is a very nice swinging session and is highly recommended.

Here is a video of Lionel Hampton and his All Star Big Band playing "Moments Notice" at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1978.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4MDTtya4tc&feature=player_detailpage