Lionel Hampton (vibes, leader)
Nat Adderley, Wallace Davenport, Julius Brooks,
Ed Mullens (trumpets), Harold Roberts, Al
Hayes, George Cooper (trombones), Jay Dennis,
Robert Plater (alto sax), Elwyn Frasier, Jay
Peters (tenor sax), Joe Evans (baritone sax),
Dwight Mitchell (piano), William Mackel (guitar),
Peter Badie (bass), Wilford Edelton (drums)
Recorded 27th December 1954, Industriehalle,
Graz, Austria.
Though issued separately,
I have reviewed these two CDs together, since
they effectively preserve the first and second
halves of the same concert.
Lionel Hampton first led
a big band after leaving Benny Goodman in
1940. In its many versions Hampton’s big band
was, at different times, host to some top-class
jazz soloists, such as Wes Montgomery, Arnett
Cobb, Johnny Griffin, Dexter Gordon and Illinois
Jacquet. The 1953 band was particularly outstanding
in this regard, since its personnel included
Art Farmer and Clifford Brown amongst the
trumpets, Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, Gigi
Gryce on alto sax and George Wallington on
piano. It has to be said that in terms of
solo talent the band which toured Europe in
1954, and which can be heard live in concert
on these two CDs, was very much the inferior
of its predecessor. The CD documentation makes
no attempt to identify the soloists; I assume
that the featured trumpeter is Nat Adderley
and that Jay Dennis and Jay Peters are the
foregrounded sax players (neither of whom
offers much that is very individual). All
have their moments, though the context doesn’t
allow for playing of any great subtlety from
any of them. But, in compensation, Hampton
himself is in excellent form, as he so often
was in the 1950s. Still, he doesn’t take quite
as much as solo space as one might have hoped.
The repertoire is fairly
basic – plenty of up-tempo crowd pleasers,
plenty of loosely jammed blues, some sentimental
ballads. The first CD contains three tracks
labelled (after the event presumably) ‘Jam
Blues’, ‘Medium Blues’ and ‘Fast Blues’. On
the first there’s a fluent solo by Hampton,
incisively percussive as ever and infectiously
enthusiastic – things become rather dull and
predictable when others take over as soloists,
though Jay Peters’ contribution starts out
well and there is some effective orchestral
riffing behind him, leading into a wild climax.
On ‘Medium Blues’ Billy Mackel’s guitar opens
things up with an attractive loping solo,
before the baritone sax of Joe Evans (a little-known
name) takes a solo of which much is unfortunately
lost in the poor recording balance; Adderley
contributes a short, witty, bright-toned solo
and one of the trombonists (Harold Roberts?)
plays trenchantly. Highlights of ‘Fast Blues’
include some more competent solo work from
Mackel, a forceful contribution on trombone
and some passionate playing from Peters. On
Jiving the Blues, the title track has
brief but telling contributions from Hampton,
including one particularly hard-driving chorus,
and a second ‘Medium Blues’ finds Hampton
in very good form, the master communicator
very much taking both band and audience along
with him; Adderley plays an extended solo
which nicely mixes long and short phrases,
before some high note squeals, growls and
sustained notes which win him a big audience
reaction.
Some familiar tunes receive
the familiar Hampton treatment. ‘How High
the Moon’ is a Hampton showcase, full of easy,
good-natured swing, building up an irresistible
momentum. ‘Vibe Boogie’ opens with an interesting,
quirky solo introduction, before Hampton launches
into a compelling extended improvisation full
of echoic and imitative effects, rhythmic
asymmetries and sudden melodic runs. This
performance is a joy, the outstanding number
on this pair of CDs. The closing performance
of ‘Flying Home’ isn’t, perhaps, one of the
very best amongst Hampton’s many recordings
of the number, but he is always worth hearing
on this, one of the best known of his own
compositions, even if the tenor work of Jay
Peters is mostly rather banal.
Elsewhere, the brass are
impressive on ‘Airmail Special’, though the
dedication to sheer speed soon robs the performance
of much in the way of imagination. Adderley
is allowed more scope on ‘The Chase’, though
a promising solo once again becomes rather
self-indulgent.
Overall, a little too much
desire to please the crowd limits the range
of effect and approach on these two CDs. Hampton
completists will certainly want them, less
specialised listeners and collectors will
probably find most to enjoy on Jiving the
Blues, where there is more Hampton to be heard,
not least the performance of ‘Vibe Boogie’.
Hampton is one of those jazz musicians who
almost always leaves the listener in a happier
state of mind. Though some way short of being
essential Hampton, this pair of CDs makes
for generally happy listening.
Glyn Pursglove
CD Reviews
SUBMARINE: SOUNDS OF YESTERYEAR DSOY687
[42:14]
