Veteran Drum
Master Jeff Hamilton Releases Red Sparkle: A Definitive New Trio
Statement on Capri
After more than three
decades as one of jazz's elite drummers, Jeff Hamilton still plays with the
enthusiasm and passion of a wide-eyed rookie. Whether he's co-leading the
Grammy-nominated Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, accompanying Diana Krall or
leading his superlative trio, he embodies tasteful musicality and probing
intelligence. Featuring his long-time band with bass virtuoso Christoph Luty and
the prodigious Israeli-born pianist Tamir Hendelman, his new Capri album Red
Sparkle is the work of a master at the top of his game. The CD will be released
on February 21.
After a decade together, the Jeff Hamilton Trio plays with the precision, poise
and attention to detail one would expect from an ensemble led by a veteran who
made his reputation with Oscar Peterson, Monty Alexander and Ray Brown. The
album opens with "Ain't That A Peach," a sassy, loving tribute to Snooky Young,
who passed away last May at the age of 92. In much the same way that the title
was a Young catch phrase, Hamilton wove the tune together the piece from musical
phrases associated with the great lead man, who anchored the Clayton Hamilton
Jazz Orchestra trumpet section from its inception.
Whether interpreting a modern jazz classic or a 1970s pop tune, the trio puts
its own rhythmic stamp on every piece in its book. Hamilton's arrangement of
"Bye-Ya" sets Thelonious Monk's Caribbean-inflected theme to a Brazilian groove,
and he re-imagines Stephen Bishop's 1977 hit "On and On" with the buoyant beat
from Ahmad Jamal's ineffably swinging "Poinciana," a hat tip to the great New
Orleans drummer Vernel Fournier.
Hamilton features Luty's luscious bow work on Ray Brown's gorgeous ballad "Oh So
Well," and Hendelman displays his ravishing touch on his arrangement of David
Raksin's haunting standard "Laura." Luty contributes a stylish homage to the
Maestro with "In An Ellingtone," but the tune that embodies the album's
celebratory mood is Hamilton's briskly swinging "Red Sparkle," which he
punctuates with melodic drum breaks.
"The piece harkens back to my very first drum set," Hamilton says. "I was so
knocked out with it. When you get the down times on the road, you remember the
Red Sparkle drum set you got to play. It's become the term for the highs when
the music is really happening, the red sparkle moments on the bandstand."
Hamilton has been providing red sparkle moments for jazz fans since the mid
1970s. Born in Richmond, Indiana, he grew up playing drums along with his
parents' Oscar Peterson records. Influenced by Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Mel
Lewis, Philly Joe Jones and Shelly Manne, he got his first high profile gig in
1974 with the New Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, followed by a brief stint with Lionel
Hampton's Band. In 1975, he joined his best friend, bassist John Clayton, in a
new, rapidly rising trio led by Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander.
"John got me on Monty's gig," Hamilton says. "We had met at Indiana University
and had an instant connection. When Monty hired John he mentioned that he also
needed a drummer, and did he have any suggestions."
Hamilton couldn't pass up an opportunity to join Woody Herman, but after
recording several albums with the Young Thundering Herd, he got another major
break. Introduced by Clayton to bassist Ray Brown, he ended up replacing Shelly
Manne in the L.A. Four, a popular group featuring Brazilian guitarist Laurindo
Almeida and saxophonist/flutist Bud Shank that recorded several Hamilton tunes
and arrangements. After freelancing with a parade of jazz legends in the
mid-80s, including Ella Fitzgerald, the Count Basie Orchestra, and Rosemary
Clooney, he began his long tenure with the Ray Brown Trio (1988-95). When he
left, it was to focus on leading his own trio.
Over the years, Hamilton's trio has served as a launching pad for a series of
stellar musicians. The latest incarnation is no different, but the trio's
longevity has allowed the group to develop a depth of expression attained by
jazz's most accomplished combos. Luty, one of the busier young bassists in Los
Angeles, impressed Hamilton the first time he heard him play.
"He and I think alike so much regarding time and feel," Hamilton says. "I
thought it would be perfect to have him in the trio when Lynn Seaton left the
band. He came in and I asked him what he wanted to play and he said 'Anything,
I've got the whole book down.' He really has the passion for the music, to do
all the homework."
Hendelman is part of a wave of brilliant Israeli musicians who have invigorated
the US jazz scene over the past 20 years. The Promised Land's bumper crop of
improvisers hasn't spilled over much to the West Coast yet, which is one reason
why Hendelman is so conspicuous on the Southern California scene. The other
reason is that he's established himself as one of the region's first-call
accompanists, a player constantly sought out by world class vocalists, including
Tierney Sutton, Roberta Gambarini, Jackie Ryan and Barbra Streisand, who
featured him on her hit 2009 album One Night Only recorded live at the Village
Vanguard.
Like Luty, Hendelman is also a long-time member of the Clayton Hamilton Jazz
Orchestra, and they're featured on the acclaimed 2005 album Live at MCG (MCG
Jazz). Since joining Hamilton, the trio has released The Best Things Happen and
From Studio 4 (both on Azica), and their 2009 Capri debut Symbiosis. Part of
what gives the trio its distinctive sound is the energy is that they've meshed
so powerfully as CHJO rhyhm section.
"Tamir, Christoph and I all think alike musically," Hamilton says. "We all have
a common goal, which is to make the other people in the group sound as good as
they can."
www.caprirecords.com;
http://hamiltonjazz.com/
