Lionel Hampton

Happy Birthday, Lionel Hampton 1908-2002...He wasn't the first jazz musician to take up the vibraphone but he was the first to record it and bring it to prominence as a jazz instrument. Considered one of the Jazz Giants, Hampton had the knack of being able to adapt to many styles without ever losing his own ability to swing.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Hampton's family spent time in Wisconsin and Alabama before ending up in Chicago. As a teenager he took xylophone and drum lessons from Jimmy Bertrand, one of his idols, and played drums for the Chicago Defender Newsboys Band.

Around 1927 he moved to California and began playing drums for the Dixie Land Blues-Blowers, making his first recordings with The Quality Serenaders. His next move would be to Culver City where he would play with Les Hite's band at Sebastian's Cotton Club. He was already gaining a reputation for showmanship, juggling and twirling multiple drum sticks without missing a beat. He also began experimenting with the vibraphone (similar to the xylophone only equipped with metal resonators and electric fans which produce vibrato). It was during this time that Louis Armstrong came to California and hired Hite's band to play with him. He invited Hampton to play vibes on two recordings, "Memories of You" and "Shine" which made Hampton the first jazz improvisor to record on vibes. Hampton's admiration for Armstrong would last his lifetime.

Hampton left Hite and formed his own band, playing at the Paradise Club in Los Angeles. In 1936, Benny Goodman came to see him at the urging of John Hammond and shortly thereafter asked Hampton to join his trio. Benny Goodman's Quartet included Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa as well as Goodman and Hampton and was among one of the first racially integrated jazz groups to record and play to diverse audiences; a powerhouse small group in an era of big bands.

When in New York, Hampton recorded a number of sides with members of other orchestras known as "The Lionel Hampton Orchestra". In 1940, he left Goodman's band to form his own big band, scoring his first big hit with a version of "Flying Home" (he would record several) featuring Illinois Jacquet on tenor playing early Rhythm and Blues. From the mid 1940's through the 50's Hampton's popular band had a rollicking, extroverted style which leaned towards Rhythm and Blues. Many of his young members would go on to achieve their own fame including, Charles Mingus, Dinah Washington, Wes Montgomery, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Cleveland, Snooky Young, Clifford Brown, Johnny Griffin, Quincy Jones, Art Farmer, Art Tatum, Annie Ross and Oscar Peterson among others. Hampton also recorded with a number of small groups and toured Europe in 1953. In 1956 he was featured in "The Benny Goodman Story" playing himself.

During the 60's the music tastes had changed but Hampton kept his bands afloat through the 90's on his enormous popular appeal, repeating his hits "Hamp's Boogie" (featuring his own rapid two finger playing on piano) "Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" and "Flying Home" to a smaller but still devoted audience. Through the years he recorded on nearly every label including two of his own, Glad-Hamp and Who's Who, and received dozens of medals and honors including The National Medal of Arts. 

He was a devoted husband to his wife Gladys who took care of much of the business end of things. (apparently Hampton was terrible with money). In the 70's the couple completed a couple of philanthropic initiatives, the Lionel Hampton Project Houses in Harlem and The Gladys  Hampton Project Houses in Newark. In the 1980's Hampton also built the Hampton Hills project in Newark.

A series of strokes in the 90's did not stop Hampton from performing and despite a lose of power and strength he remained a force on the jazz scene. He died of congestive heart failure at the age of 94. When asked what kept him going, Hampton replied, "Music is my fountain of youth. It keeps me contemporary."