Articles by Ed Hamilton
Horace Silver: Blue Note Records and His Lady Music
by Ed Hamilton
The Q&A portion of this article first appeared on KPFK 90.7 FM (Los Angeles) in 1974. 75 years ago Blue Note Records was started by two German immigrants who loved jazz and believed that the music should be heard and preserved. Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff collaborated and built the Blue Note vault of music that included the artistry of immortals: Miles Davis, Sonny Clark, Sidney Bechet, Clifford Brown, Art Blakey, The Jazz Messengers, Lee Morgan, Freddie ...
Continue ReadingEddie Jefferson: The Scientist of Vocalese
by Ed Hamilton
Detroit once had a reputation as the “Killer Kapital," but things have changed--Dave Bing, basketball Hall of Famer is Mayor and is striving to clean up the city. But 32 years ago, actress Brenda Vaccarro and altoist Richie Cole witnessed the drive-by shotgun slaying of the architect of Vocalese, Eddie Jefferson, at Bakers' Lounge. Jefferson was shot and killed May 8, 1979, walking out of the venue, after playing a set with co-leader Cole. Vocalese was first created ...
Continue ReadingA Merger In Jazz Education
by Ed Hamilton
A musical merger of higher education has been established at the last university to include jazz into their curriculum--UCLA. Jazz Studies, under Director/guitarist Dr. Kenny Burrell, The Herb Alpert School of Music , and the Thelonious Monk Institute, guided by Herbie Hancock, have all joined jazztistical bonds in providing not only jazz but all-around musical learning for all students seeking the realms of higher educational degrees in music.Jazz education was brought to UCLA when Burrell started teaching “Ellingtonia," ...
Continue ReadingGeorge Benson: From Chitlins to Chateaubriand to Caviar
by Ed Hamilton
In the summer of 2004 guitarist George Benson sat down unnoticed at the Baton Rouge Bar in Montreal and asked for a margarita. The Baton Rouge is a great restaurant haven for jazz goers and musicians attending the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, aka The Montreal Jazz Festival. It just so happened that, as my family and I sat down at the bar for an afternoon brunch, I looked over to my left and recognized Benson as the gentleman ...
Continue ReadingJohn Levy & Freddie Hubbard to Receive NEA Award at IAJE
by Ed Hamilton
Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and bassist John Levy will be honored as National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters at the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) Conference. The NEA has chosen two most worthy honorees whom you might say have been joined at the hip like father and son. Levy and Hubbard, manager and trumpeter will receive a $25,000 fellowship award on Jan 11, 2006 in New York.
The relationship between Levy and Hubbard has been like family. Both men ...
Continue ReadingDavid "Fathead" Newman: Remembering Brother Ray
by Ed Hamilton
And the envelope please. The Oscar goes to the other most frequently spoken character name in the film Ray-- “Fathead." The name was eminently prominent with the character portrayed in the academy award nominated film Ray, and was an extraordinary, integral part. The character “Fathead" was a prime figure throughout the film playing baritone sax and alto in Charles' band. David Newman is a soft-spoken, gentle, tenor sax-flute-playing musician who played in Ray Charles' band for 12 years.
He has ...
Continue ReadingThe Incredible Jimmy Smith
by Ed Hamilton
February is recognized as Black History Month and inventors of African American Heritage are honored. Louis Latimer did not invent the light bulb but invented the light inside as James Oscar Smith did not invent the Hammond B-3 organ, but invented the Jazz sound played never before until he laid his fingers on the 2-story set of ivory and black keys and bass foot pedals.
I had gone to sleep Wednesday night, February 9, thinking that I would get Kenny ...
Continue ReadingMontreal Jazz Festival: As Sterling As Silver
by Ed Hamilton
Anniversaries and birthdays are synonymous with the beginnings of wonderful occurrences. The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal--a Sterling Silver conglomerance of Jazz sounds known round the world as the Montreal Jazz Festival, celebrates its 25th birthday.
Andre Menard and cofounder-Alain Simard solidified the festival in 1979 organizing a week of various musical encounters. FIJM again, has been voted Best Jazz Festival in North America and number 3 in the world. Menard and FIJM were both honored by the Toronto ...
Continue ReadingNina Simone: The High Priestess Goes Home
by Ed Hamilton
Eunice Waymon was her real name, and Nina Simone became her pianistic claim to fame in the realm of music that started in the turbulent days of the Civil Rights Movement. Her voice and music ceased to be Monday, April 21st, in the South of France. She had recently completed her Millennium Tour with a second LA performance during the holidays.
The voice of “Four Women,” “I Put A Spell On You,” “Mississippi Goddam,” and “Young Gifted and Black” came ...
Continue ReadingTeddy Edwards: L.A. Tenor Legend of Central Avenue
by Ed Hamilton
Teddy Edwards was an unsung hero of magnificent ramifications---not only a jazz musician who played a tremendous amount of tenor saxophone, but an arranger, writer, composer and lyricist, died of cancer. Edwards was a cornerstone of the Los Angeles Central Avenue jazz club history. Club Alabam, Dunbar Hotel, Clark Hotel, The Plantation, were the club scenes for Edwards' playing after arriving here in post WW II.
He came here in 1945 from Jackson, Mississippi and played with everyone on the ...
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