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Jeff Hamilton

Originality is what versatile drummer Jeff Hamilton brings to the groups he performs with and is one of the reasons why he is constantly in demand, whether he is recording or performing with his trio, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, the Clayton Brothers or co-leading the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Jeff’s recording, It’s Hamilton Time (Lake Street Records), received enormous airplay while reaching #5 on the Gavin national jazz radio chart. His trio’s second release, Jeff Hamilton Trio-LIVE! (MONS) was nominated by critics for best jazz recording in Germany in 1997. The trio’s second MONS release was entitled, Hands On. Hamilton House-Live at Steamers (MONS) was the trio’s 2000 release. As well as recording and performing throughout the world, Jeff also teaches, arranges and composes.

Jeff has received rave reviews for his dynamic drumming. David Badham of Jazz Journal International stated in his review of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra’s release, Heart and Soul (Capri): “This is one of the finest modern big band issues I’ve heard…This is undoubtedly due to Jeff Hamilton, a most driving and technically accomplished drummer.” Jeff is equally at home in smaller formats. He is an integral part of the Clayton Brothers and Herb Wong stated in his review of their release, The Music (Capri), in JazzTimes: “Always evident is…the colorful work of the rhythm section featuring…the sensitivity and sizzle of Jeff Hamilton’s seasoned drums.” Leonard Feather of the Los Angeles Times described Jeff and his work with Oscar Peterson as “the Los Angeles-based drummer whose intelligent backing and spirited solo work met Peterson’s customarily high standards…” In his review of he Ray Brown Trio in the Denver Post, Jeff Bradley stated that Jeff “brought the crowd to its feet with his amazing hand-drumming, soft and understated yet as riveting and rewarding as any drum solo you’ve heard.”

Born in Richmond, Indiana, Jeff grew up listening to his parent’s big band records and at the age of eight began playing drums along with Oscar Peterson records. He attended Indiana University and later studied with John Von Ohlen. Jeff was influenced by Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, “Philly” Joe Jones and Shelly Manne. In 1974, he got his first big break playing with the New Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. He then joined Lionel Hampton’s Band until 1975 when he, along with bassist John Clayton, became members of the Monty Alexander Trio. He attained a childhood goal in 1977 when he joined Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd, with whom he made several recordings. In 1978, he was offered the position vacated by Shelly Manne in the L.A.4 with Ray Brown, Bud Shank and Laurindo Almeida. He recorded six records with the L.A.4, some of which featured his own arrangements and compositions. From 1983 to 1987, Jeff performed with Ella Fitzgerald, the Count Basie Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney and Monty Alexander. Jeff began his association with the Ray Brown Trio in 1988 and left in March 1995 to concentrate on his own trio. From 1999-2001, the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra was named the in-residence ensemble for the Hollywood Bowl Jazz series. The Los Angeles Jazz Society named Jeff and his musical partner, John Clayton, musicians of the year for 2006. A banquet in their honor was held at the Los Angeles Marriott Downtown Hotel. Click here for pictures from the event. Jeff is currently touring with his own Trio, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Diana Krall.

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Album Review

Paul Kuhn: The LA Session

Read "The LA Session" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


Paul Kuhn (1928-2013) was a German jazz pianist who was well known in his own country, but much less so in the United States. All things considered, given that he spent the formative year of his adolescence in Nazi Germany, he was probably lucky to have survived at all. The Nazis, like most authoritarians, frowned on swing and jazz. They considered it the product of a degraded race and gateway drug of sorts to all sorts of perversions of which ...

5
Album Review

Jack Jones Featuring Joey DeFrancesco: ArtWork

Read "ArtWork" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


"Those who know, know" happens to be a soon-to-be-overused phrase to describe the hip, the “In," and “the very elite of aware." Now in his Mid-80s, Jack Jones has maintained a stellar, cross-media career, all on a foundation of a once-in-a-lifetime voice. Mel Torme, one not easily prone to hyperbole, called Jones, “the best pure singer in the business." Torme and others in the Vocal Pantheon knew. With ArtWork, Jones joins forces with the late multi-instrumentalist and ...

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Album Review

Jack Jones Featuring Joey DeFrancesco: ArtWork

Read "ArtWork" reviewed by Jack Bowers


If a singer's reputation is so impressive that he or she is able to enlist a full orchestra (with bassist John Clayton conducting) and the late organ maestro Joey DeFrancesco as featured soloist, that is certainly enough to warrant attention. The singer in this instance is two-time Grammy winner Jack Jones, the orchestra an assemblage of some of the Los Angeles area's finest musicians, enlarged by a thirty-member string section. On one hand, Jones remains a smooth ...

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Album Review

Mike Jones: Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You're Doing?

Read "Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You're Doing?" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Some years ago, after Penn Jillette heard Mike Jones playing in a small club in Las Vegas, he approached the pianist, introduced himself, and said he would like to hire Jones to open his popular magic show, Penn & Teller--on one condition. And what might that condition be, Jones asked, to which Jillette replied, “I'm your bassist." Jones readily agreed, starting a long-running collaboration that has led at last to this superlative album --with Jillette on bass, of course, and ...

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Album Review

Mike Jones / Penn Jillette / Jeff Hamilton: Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You're Doing?

Read "Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You're Doing?" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


If the tired old cliché “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" ruled the roost, perhaps the talents of pianist Mike Jones might have been limited to being the music director for the Penn & Teller Las Vegas show of mind-blowing illusions. Fortunately, a tired old cliché is just that. Jones' dynamic talent and creativity could not be “kept under a bushel." He joined forces with the exceptional and versatile drummer Jeff Hamilton and the surprisingly talented bassist Penn Jillette, ...

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Album Review

Doug MacDonald: I'll See You in My Dreams

Read "I'll See You in My Dreams" reviewed by Jack Bowers


There is at least one constant in guitarist Doug MacDonald's long and rewarding career: he likes to stay busy, whether hosting live gigs or inhabiting a recording studio. MacDonald's latest quartet session, I'll See You in My Dreams, is at least his twenty- ninth as leader of groups of various sizes and shapes. It is also a homecoming of sorts, as MacDonald is reunited here with the co-leaders of one of his earlier employers, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, namely bassist ...

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Album Review

Craig Davis: Tone Paintings

Read "Tone Paintings" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The subtitle of pianist Craig Davis' second album, Tone Paintings, is “The Music of Dodo Marmarosa." For those who may be inclined to ask, “Dodo who?" the album offers a mini-biography of Pittsburgh-born Michael (Dodo) Marmarosa, an exceptionally talented pianist whose promising early career was cut short by the crushing weight of mental and emotional problems that proved too unbearable for him to overcome. At his peak, in the decade from 1940-50, Marmarosa was a member of big bands led ...

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Recording

2018's best jazz recordings

2018's best jazz recordings

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

‘Tis the season for the outpouring of Top 10 lists, and their many variations, for jazz, world events, etc. The jazz lists tend to have a lot of variation depending on the individual reviewer's personal tastes, as well as what he or she listened to during the year.* Bottom line, all are extremely subjective. These choices below (aside from top 10 new songs of the year) were submitted to the Jazz Journalists’ Association and NPR Music 2018 compilations. (The latter ...

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Website

All About Jazz Top 10 Tracks: February 2018

All About Jazz Top 10 Tracks: February 2018

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz features a free song every day spanning all genres of jazz, and of the 30 tracks featured in February, these ten represent our personal favorites. We also included the top ten reader favorites as indicated by total listens. Musicians and record labels can submit full length MP3s for consideration here. Enjoy! EDITOR'S PICKS Sybille's Day Jeff Hamilton From: Jeff Hamilton Trio Live from San Pedro 4:36 Mostly in Blue George Cotsirilos ...

Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: TAUK, Jeff Hamilton, Etienne Charles, Big Sam's Funky Nation, and more

Jazz this week: TAUK, Jeff Hamilton, Etienne Charles, Big Sam's Funky Nation, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week's jazz and creative music calendar in St. Louis is all about the one-nighters, with an eclectic handful of headlining acts in town for single-serve appearances. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, March 8 NYC-based funk/fusion band TAUK plays at the Old Rock House, and pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will perform at Evangeline's. Also on Thursday, Jazz St. Louis in cooperation with COCA presents a “Rent Party Concert" at Jazz at the ...

Recording

"Lush" - New CD By Joe Clark Big Band (Featuring Jeff Hamilton) - Set For Feb. 12 Release

"Lush" - New CD By Joe Clark Big Band (Featuring Jeff Hamilton) - Set For Feb. 12 Release

Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations

From the liner notes by Mark Hiebert: The title of this album is Lush. The word “lush” by itself can describe a man who drinks and becomes flirtatious, or it can depict something that is savory and appealing to the senses. The album includes a little of both, with characters like the Femme Fatale living in an unwritten story set in the streets of New Orleans, along with some of the richest and most beautiful new music in the big ...

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Radio

Rockwired.Com's All New Jazzed and Blue Podcast Features The Jeff Hamilton Trio fro their CD "Red Sparkle" and Oleg Frish for his CD "Bring Me Sunshine"

Rockwired.Com's All New Jazzed and Blue Podcast Features The Jeff Hamilton Trio fro their CD "Red Sparkle" and Oleg Frish for his CD "Bring Me Sunshine"

Source: Rockwired Media LLC

The weekly online radio series Jazzed and Blue: Profiles in Blues and Jazz is back and is now available for download at Rockwired.com and features exclusive interviews with Jeff Hamilton of the Jeff Hamilton Trio regarding their brand new release Red Sparkle and with Russian television personality Oleg Frish regarding his latest release Bring Me Sunshine. In the opening segment, Hamilton discusses the inspiration behind the tracks of his new project, collaborating with bassist Christopher Luty and pianist Tamir Hendelman ...

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Event

Jeff Hamilton Trio in Costa Rica Vacation Event

Jeff Hamilton Trio in Costa Rica Vacation Event

Source: Michael Ricci

Music in Costa Rica Announces The Jeff Hamilton Trio in Costa Rica Vacation Event November 20-27, 2010

Music in Costa Rica is offering a unique Costa Rica vacation event featuring the Jeff Hamilton Trio (with Special Guest Graham Dechter) performing in 3 spectacular natural settings from November 20 27, 2010.

Greeley, CO -- Music in Costa Rica is offering an intimate and elegant Jazz vacation experience in Costa Rica from November 20-27, 2010. This unique vacation is $2,699 per person ...

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Interview

John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton - Rhythm is Their Business

John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton - Rhythm is Their Business

Source: Michael Ricci

Rhythm is their business John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton keep the heart of the big band beating.

October 23, 2009 By Bill Meredith Jazz & Blues Florida For 25 years, bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton have formed the back line of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Founded in 1985 and co-led by Clayton's saxophone-playing brother Jeff Clayton, the big band has recorded a handful of stellar CDs and served as the in-residence ensemble ...

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Interview

Drummer Jeff Hamilton Interviewed at AAJ

Drummer Jeff Hamilton Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz

When it comes to mainstream drummers there are few who can match Jeff Hamilton. He's played with everyone from Monty Alexander to Diana Krall, the perfect confluence of traditional swing and textural innovation.

AAJ contributor Dr. Judith Schlesinger had the very good fortune of being on a jazz cruise with Hamilton, and took the opportunity to talk with him about his lengthy career, now in its fourth decade, and current projects including the Clayton Hamilton Big Band and his own ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Are You Sure You...

Capri Records
2023

buy

ArtWork

Cavalry Productions
2023

buy

Tone Paintings

MCG Jazz
2022

buy

I'll See You in My...

Self Produced
2022

buy

Major Influence

Capri Records
2021

buy

Merry & Bright

Capri Records
2021

buy

Perdido

From: Are You Sure You Three Guys...
By Jeff Hamilton

New York, New York

From: On the Town: Pete Malinverni...
By Jeff Hamilton

Sybille's Day

From: Live from San Pedro
By Jeff Hamilton

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