Chico Hamilton
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Chico Hamilton (born Foreststorn Hamilton on September 21, 1921, Los Angeles) is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.
History
Hamilton had a fast track musical education in a band with his schoolmates Charles Mingus, Illinois Jacquet, Ernie Royal, Dexter Gordon, Buddy Collette and Jack Kelso. Engagements with Lionel Hampton, Slim & Slam, T-Bone Walker, Lester Young, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Barnett, Billy Eckstine, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Billie Holiday, Gerry Mulligan and six years with Lena Horne established this young West Coast prodigy as a jazz drummer on the rise, before striking out on his own as a band leader in 1955.
Hamilton appeared in the March Milastaire number in the film You'll Never Get Rich (1941) as part of the backing group supporting Fred Astaire, and performed on the soundtrack of the Bing Crosby/Bob Hope film Road to Bali.
Hamilton's impact on jazz includes the introduction of two unique and distinct sounds: first in 1955 with his Original Quintet which combined the sounds of his drums, the bass of Carson Smith, the guitar of Jim Hall, the cello of Fred Katz, and the flute of Buddy Collette; and the second in 1962 with his own drums, the bass of Albert Stinson, the guitar of Gabor Szabo, the tenor sax of Charles Lloyd, and the trombone of George Bohanon.
He recorded his first LP as leader in 1955 with George Duvivier and Howard Roberts for Pacific Jazz; in 1955 he formed an unusual quintet in L.A. featuring cello, flute, guitar, bass and drums. The original personnel included Buddy Collette, Jim Hall, Fred Katz and Carson Smith; Hamilton continued to tour using different personnel, 1957 to 1960; the group including Paul Horne and John Pisano was featured in the film Sweet Smell of Success in 1957; the group including Nate Gershman and Eric Dolphy appeared in the film Jazz on a Summer's Day in 1960; Dolphy marked his first recordings with Hamilton on With Strings Attached, Gongs East, The Three Faces of Chico, and That Hamilton Man.
Hamilton revamped the group in 1961 with Charles Lloyd, Gabor Szabo, George Bohanon and Albert Stinson; the group recorded for Columbia, Reprise and Impulse and also recorded the soundtrack for the industrial film Litho in 1962, the first American film to be shown behind the Iron Curtain. Hamilton formed a commercial and film production company in 1965; scored the feature films Repulsion, Mr. Rico, By Design, Liebe Auf Den Ersten Blick, Die Sonnengottin, and A Practical Man; scored for television Portrait of Willie Mays and the popular children's series Gerald McBoing Boing; and scored hundreds of commercials for TV and radio. He formed a new group with Larry Coryell, Richard Davis and Arnie Lawrence in '66 and recorded The Dealer for Impulse. Performed at Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals in 1972 and 1973. Formed a new "Players" group in 1975 with Arthur Blythe, Steve Turre, Barry Finnerty and Abdullah; also, wrote and performed the musical score for the movie, Coonskin, in 1975; toured with "Players" using different personnel in 1976-1980; recorded for Blue Note, Mercury Records, Nautilus and Elektra. Originating faculty member in 1987 of New School University Jazz & Contemporary Music Program.
He formed the new group "Euphoria" in 1987 with Eric Person, Cary DeNigris and Reggie Washington; recorded Euphoria in 1987; toured Europe with Euphoria '87, '88, '90. Performed at Verona, Bolzano, Vienne, Nice, North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals in '89 with regrouped original quintet with Buddy Collette, Fred Katz, John Pisano, Carson Smith; recorded Reunion for Soul Note. For Soul Note records Arroyo with Euphoria group, Trio! w. Eric Person, Cary DeNigris, Eric Dolphy tribute My Panamanian Friend with Euphoria group, and solo drum session Dancing to a Different Drummer. Toured Europe with Euphoria in 1994. Hamilton was the subject of a documentary film by director Julian Benedikt, Dancing to a Different Drummer.
Hamilton released Foreststorn in 2001 featuring Euphoria with Cary DeNigris on guitar, Paul Ramsey on bass, and a new two horn front line featuring Eric Lawrence on alto and soprano saxes and Evan Schwam on tenor sax, as well as special guest appearances from former band members Arthur Blythe, Steve Turre and his wife Akua Dixon, Eric Person, former Spin Doctors guitarist Eric Schenkman (a student of Chico's), Blues Traveler front man John Popper (also a student of Chico's), and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones. In August 2001 he performed in front of 2300 people at Lincoln Center "My Funny Valentine: A Tribute to Chico Hamilton" with Euphoria plus special guest appearances from Joe Beck, Arthur Blythe, Larry Coryell, Akua Dixon, Rodney Jones and Eric Person. In fall 2002 he released Thoughts of… with Euphoria, with special guest appearances from guitarists and former band members Joe Beck, Larry Coryell and Rodney Jones.
In 1997, Hamilton received the New School University Jazz & Contemporary Music Programs Beacons in Jazz Award in recognition for his "significant contribution to the evolution of Jazz." In 2002, he was awarded the WLIU-FM Radio Lifetime Achievement Award. At the IAJE in NYC January 2004, Hamilton was awarded a NEA Jazz Master Fellowship, presented to him by Roy Haynes. In December 2006, Congress confirmed the President's nomination of Chico Hamilton to the Presidents Council on the Arts. And in 2007, Hamilton received a Living Legacy Jazz Award as part of The Kennedy Center Jazz in Our Time Festival, as well as receiving a Doctor of Fine Arts from The New School.
Hamilton has a resume that includes scores for film, original compositions, commercial jingles, 50+ albums as a leader, and countless international tours. In 2006, Chico released four CDs on Joyous Shout! in celebration of his 85th birthday: Juniflip featuring guest appearances from Love front-man Arthur Lee, vocalist (and successful actor) Bill Henderson, and former Hamilton band members trombonist George Bohanon and bass trombonist Jimmy Cheatham; Believe with special guest appearances from vocalist and R & B diva Fontella Bass and trombonist George Bohanon; 6th Avenue Romp featuring special guest appearances from guitarist Shuggie Otis, trumpeter Jon Faddis, trombonist George Bohanon, vocalist Brenna Bavis and percussionist Jaimoe of the Allman Brothers Band; and Heritage with special guest appearances from vocalist Marya Lawrence and trombonist George Bohanon. In September 2007, Chico released Hamiltonia sampling his original compositions from the four albums released in 2006. Hamiltonia confirms Hamilton's status as one of the most important living jazz artists and composers.
Over the years, Hamilton has had a series of dance successes, including his signature song "Conquistadors" from his '60s Impulse album El Chico, and the Brazilian influenced song "Strut" from Hamilton's 1980 Elektra album, Nomad, which became so successful on the Northern Soul scene in the U.K. that it had its own dance. In 2002 a track titled "For Mods Only" from Hamilton's 1968 Impulse album The Dealer, was included on the Thievery Corporation's Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi. In fall 2006, Rong Music released the 12" vinyl Kerry's Caravan from Mudd & Chico Hamilton, with remixes from long-term Idjut Boys collaborator and Fiasco imprint boss Ray Mang. And the recent Impulsive! Remix Project features Mark De Clive Lowe's take on Chico's '60s track "El Toro." Released December of 2007 from SoulFeast (Joaquin 'Joe' Claussell & Brian Michel Bacchus) on 12" limited edition vinyl is their recasting of Chico's classic track "Mysterious Maiden," and coming in Spring 2008 from SoulFeast is a CD & double vinyl 12" EP Chico Hamilton Presents: Alternative Dimensions of El Chico.
Current life
Hamilton is presently teaching at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City; touring extensively in North America with Euphoria, which includes Cary DeNigris on guitar, Paul Ramsey on bass, Evan Schwam on flute, tenor and soprano saxes, and Ian Young on flute, alto and baritone saxes, and Jeremy Carlstedt on percussion; recording with his group and special guests; composing and performing music for film; and working on his autobiography.
Discography
- 1955 Chico Hamilton Trio (10" LP)
- 1955 Chico Hamilton Quintet feat. Buddy Collette
- 1960 Original Chico Hamilton Quintet
- 1956 Chico Hamilton Quintet In Hi-Fi
- 1956 Chico Hamilton Trio (12" LP)
- 1957 Chico Hamilton Quintet
- 1957 Zen: The Music Of Fred Katz
- 1957 Sweet Smell Of Success
- 1958 South Pacific In Hi-Fi
- 1958 Chico Hamilton Trio intro. Freddie Gambrel
- 1959 Ellington Suite
- 1959 With Strings Attached
- 1959 Gongs East!
- 1959 The Three Faces Of Chico
- 1959 That Hamilton Man
- 1960 Bye Bye Birdie/Irma La Douce
- 1960 Chico Hamilton Special
- 1962 Drumfusion
- 1962 Litho
- 1962 A Different Journey
- 1962 Passin' Thru
- 1963 Man From Two Worlds
- 1965 Chic Chic Chico
- 1966 El Chico
- 1966 The Further Adventures Of El Chico
- 1966 The Dealer
- 1967 The Best of Chico Hamilton
- 1968 The Gamut
- 1969 The Head Hunters
- 1970 El Exigente/The Demanding One
- 1973 The Master
- 1974 Live At Montreux (w/Albert King & Little Milton)
- 1975 Peregrinations
- 1976 The Players
- 1977 Catwalk
- 1979 Reaching For The Top
- 1980 Nomad
- 1988 Euphoria
- 1990 Transfusion
- 1991 Reunion
- 1992 Arroyo
- 1993 Trio!
- 1994 My Panamanian Friend (The Music Of Eric Dolphy)
- 1994 Dancing To A Different Drummer
- 1998 Complete Pacific Jazz Recordings of the Chico Hamilton Quintet
- 1999 Timely
- 2000 Original Ellington Suite
- 2001 Foreststorn
- 2002 Thoughts Of...
- 2006 Juniflip
- 2006 Believe
- 2006 6th Avenue Romp
- 2006 Heritage
- 2007 Hamiltonia
- 2008 It's About Time EP
- 2008 Chico Hamilton Presents: Alternative Dimensions of El Chico EP
