Lionel Hampton

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Lionel Leo Hampton (1908–2002), was a U.S. bandleader, jazz percussionist, and vibraphonist.

Hampton was born on 20th April 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky, but moved to Chicago as a child, where he began his career as a drummer. He relocated to Los Angeles to play drums in Les Hite’s band. They soon became the house band for Frank Sebastian’s New Cotton Club, a popular L.A. jazz club.

During a 1930 recording date in the NBC studios in L.A., Louis Armstrong discovered a vibraphone. He asked Hampton if he could play it. Hampton, who knew how to play the xylophone, tried it and they agreed to record a few records with Hamp on vibes. Hampton is credited with popularizing the vibraphone as a jazz instrument.

In the mid-1930s, the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton play. Goodman asked Hampton to move to New York City and join Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa who’d already formed a Benny Goodman Trio within the large band - to expand into the Benny Goodman Quartet. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated bands to record and play before wide audiences; they were just as well received at Goodman’s famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert as was the full Goodman band.

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Hamp The Legendary Decca Recordings Of Lionel…
Lionel Hampton
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All Star Sessions: Hot Mallets, Vol. 2
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Jukebox Hits 1943-1950
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Top Tracks

1	Flying Home	138
2	On the Sunny Side of the Street	96
3	Ring Dem Bells	81
4	Midnight Sun	78
5	Hamp's Boogie Woogie	46
6	How High The Moon	41
7	Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop	39
8	Dinah	35
9	Rag Mop	28
10	Jeepers Creepers	27
11	Psychedelic Sally	25
12	When Lights Are Low	22
12	Central avenue breakdown	22
14	Sweethearts on parade	21
15	Stardust	20

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Neue_regel_ wrote:
July 2011

class

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Druid66 wrote:
July 2011

He's one of the true ambassadors of elegance.

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pachanka wrote:
March 2011

99,828 listeners... go Hampton! One never know's, does one?

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doctorjmo wrote:
November 2010

he's good!!

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Maswelle wrote:
February 2010

L.S. looking for "THE CHASE played by Lionel Hampton Maswelle

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carlsten wrote:
December 2009

i really like the vibraphone

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TheAbbott wrote:
November 2009

The vibraphone is a beautiful instrument.

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patgoud wrote:
June 2009

I've seen him in the end of the 80s in Düsseldorf. He was so brilliant. He had so much energy - that was great.

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H-VATH wrote:
February 2009

so happy

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catscraddle wrote:
December 2008

Habe ihn irgendwann zwischen 1985/1990 in der Düsseldorfer Tonhalle gesehen, als fast Erwachsener in einer Phase der Annäherung zu meinem Dad. Viele Jahre später – Lionel Hampton, genauso wie mein Vater sind schon ein paar Jahre to t– habe ich mich in die Musik von Roy Ayers verliebt. Die Legende sagt, er, Roy Ayers, habe im zarten Alter von 5 Jahren seine ersten Mallets von "Hamp" bekommen. Wie dem auch sei: Beider Musik ist absolut phantastisch Marcel

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LondonLouis wrote:
December 2008

This version of Flying Home seems to lack some of the drive of the original. Having said that Hampton was one of the guys who moved the Big Bands into genuinely rocking outfits. Flying Home, with (Ike Quebec's (?)) solo was one of the earliest hits which featured a squealing sax. Not rated by the cognoscenti at the time, but Hampton was in the excitement business - and, boy, did he deliver.

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christaster wrote:
November 2008

This is wonderful music. On the sunny side of the streets...

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yoscar wrote:
October 2008

very niceee!!!

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SYL2Oh wrote:
May 2008

Figure of middle-jazz, Lionel Hampton gives his music a jubilant charactere. Showman accomplished and virtuoso percussionist, he crossed modes keeping firmly in the direction of SWING ! ! !D

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adistu wrote:
October 2007

shout for hampton! 'man was a great artist.

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RobertoNoce wrote:
April 2007

Nada tiene que ver con Lionel Hampton!

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BeSp wrote:
March 2007

i'm just wondering... wasn't lionel hampton a character in the famous john sinclair series novel? ..

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