Sacramento guitarist Ross Hammond has been a fixture on the regional jazz, improvised music and rock scenes for the past decade. The 30 year old guitarist divides his time between his improvising groups, working as a sideman for singers and songwriters, teaching private lessons as well as curating local jazz and new music events in Sacramento.
In 2007 he was featured on the cover of the Sacramento Bee newspaper’s “Ticket” Section, and received a Critic’s Choice award for special achievement from the Sacramento Area Music Awards (Sammies).
His most recent recording, Ross Hammond’s Teakayo Mission, a DIY release featuring David Boyce, Scott Amendola, Joaquin McPeek and Lisa Mezzacappa, was named one of the top releases of 2007 by www.allaboutjazz.com.
Hammond is confirmed for the South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas for 2008..
Some, but not all, musical projects include:
Teakayo Mission, The Ni Project, V Neck, Hamez, Joaquin’s Night Train, RACE!!! and Hail to the Balhamkings. As well as stints w/ Lee Bob Watson, Kate Gaffney, Christian Kiefer, Tony Passarell, Julie Meyers, Anton Barbeau, Kevin Seconds and others.
”Ross Hammond is a man who can probably express himself with a guitar
better than most of us can with the English language...”
-Sacramento News and Review, 2009
“Sacramento based guitarist Ross Hammond's Teakayo Mission is one of
those rare, indie sessions that
creatively succeeds where so many others fall by the wayside. Leading a
potent group that listens as
effectively as it plays...Hammond merges rock, jazz and free improvisation
into a cohesive collection
beyond category....Flying under the radar of the mainstream, Teakayo
Mission straddles the border-
lines of multiple genres, occupying a creative no-man's-land of the future....”
-Troy Collins, All About Jazz
“Blending '70s-era fusion styles with Latin and Indian influences Teakayo is a
free-jazz outfit featuring
percussionists Joaquin McPeek and Scott Amendola, bassist Lisa Mezzacappa
and saxophonist David
Boyce. Hammond and his brethren are free, but not abyssmally so. Their
music still swings.”
- Rachel Swan, East Bay Express 6/28/07
”Ross is a guitarist and on this release he surrounds himself with impeccable
musicians who obviously
share his joy and belief in this type of jazz. It’s a bold album. It is
challenging and intelligent and
joyous. I like it very much.” -Mark Robinson, www.itsajazzthing.com
“Ross Hammond is to the local jazz scene what alternative rock was to the
late 1980s and early
1990s....the RACE!!! Quartet played a blistering, intricate set that was
exploratory and fascinating.
RACE!!! is one of the most interesting musical projects currently working in
Sacramento, and I suppose
jazz fans can rejoice in seeing such a group in the super-intimate settings it
tends to play. Check
where you can catch them next. You certainly won’t be disappointed.”
-Christian Kiefer, Sacramento News and Review 11/05
“Hammond and Jenkins exhibited confidence and craft as they jammed
through 40 minutes of India-
themed guitar and tabla improv, with a pre-recorded tamboura droning in
the background as
accompaniment. Hammond’s use of guitar effects like layered harmonies,
sounds turned backward, and
distorted individual notes--just to name a few tricks--along with Jenkins’
dexterous percussion made
it easy to forget there were only two musicians on stage”
-David Riedel, Sacramento News and Review 1/07
“Hammond’s music continues to impress me with its particularly laid-back
and yet very contemporary
take on jazz, managing, as he does, to fuse the mellow and romantic qualities
of Chet Baker and--for a
guitarist’s comparison--Wes Montgomery, along with Bitches Brew-era Miles
Davis. The end result is
one moment spacey and another melodic, and altogether interesting music.”
-Christian Kiefer, Sacramento News and Review, 6/04
Awards
2009 Best Area Jazz Artist by Sacramento News and Review
2008 Best Area Jazz Artist by Sacramento News and Review
2007 Critic's Choice Award for Special Achievement by Sacramento News and
Review
1950s Silvertone archtop (a gift from the late Erik Kleven), Vintage Roots
hollowbody Jazzmaster, Univox 330, 1930s Fischer Acoustic Archtop, 1950s
Magnatone Lap Steel, Fender Musicmaster Amp, Fender Champ, Polytone
Megabrute, Epiphone Valver Jr., Tascam 38 Reel to Reel, TEAC 2 Track Reel to
Reel, and a list of various loopers, delays, fuzz boxes and effects that keeps
changing...
Miles Davis-"In A Silent Way"rn
Miles Davis-"On the Corner"rn
Pharoah Sanders-"Black Unity"rn
Sam Rivers -"Waves"rn
Jeff Parker - "Like Coping"rn
Bobby Bland - "Dreamer"rn
Curtis Mayfield - "Superfly Soundtrack"rn
Nick Drake - "Pink Moon"rn
Sonic Youth - "Daydream Nation"rn
Sonny Sharrock-"Ask the Ages"rn
Bruce Springsteen-"Nebraska"rn
Bjork-"Vespertine"
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