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Topic: Scott Hamilton - Tenor Sax |
Howard Kalish
From:
Austin, Tx USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2006 1:13 pm |
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I've been looking for a way to contact my old friend Scott Hamilton, who turned into one of the foremost mainstream jazz tenor players out there today. Scott was one of my pals growing up in Providence, RI. We went to elementary school through the 10th grade together, at which point my family moved to Michigan. I lost touch with him until I found one of his records about 15 years ago.
Back in our school days, Scott was a great clarinet player and he and I started exploring record stores together. Back then we were heavy into the blues and I still have many of the LPs I remember looking at with Scott in some of the stores we frequented. He was a great guide through the music even then. He probably helped forge some of my tastes. It was good to hang with someone who had an appreciation for older styles of music. Now here it is almost 40 years later and I still play and prefer to listen to older styles.
Anyways, a few times a year I try to get in contact with him. I'd be great to have him down here to Austin to do some shows and play some western swing, which I'm sure he could tear up. A Google search turns up a few hits, but mostly for the Olympic ice skater with the same name.
I know he was based out of New York for a long time. Maybe some of you east coast guys may have crossed paths with him. If anyone has any ideas about how to reach him, I'd really like to visit with him again.
There's several bios about him on the internet, but no contact info. Below, I've included something I found. As you can see, he's the real deal. I highly recommend his recordings if you like the pre-bop styles of jazz and the sound of a rich, full-throated tenor sax swinging like mad.
Thanks,
HK
The conservative Scott Hamilton actually caused a bit of a stir when he appeared on the scene in the mid ´70s. He came along at a time when his mainstream melodicism and swing, derived from the pre-bopy triumvirate of Hawkins, Young, and Webster, swam against the prevailing tide of self-conscious exploration and fusion. Nonetheless, Hamilton did not represent a mere trend; rather, he was a fully formed stylist with an individual sound. Hamilton (b. 9/12/54, Providence, RI) began focusing on tenor sax at age 16, gaining experience in hometown organ combos. In ´76, he moved to New York, where he soon joined up with Benny Goodman (´76-´7 ; since then he has performed primarily as a leader, occasionally sharing the stage with Ruby Braff, Rosemary Clooney, The Concord Jazz All-Stars, and the Newport Jazz Festival All Stars. His many recordings as a leader for Concord include collaborations with Gerry Mulligan, Flip Phillips, and Dave McKenna. |
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Glenn Suchan
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 21 Dec 2006 2:01 pm
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Howard,
What a coincidence! As I'm reading your post, I'm listening to one of the Concord jazz collaborations. The Jimmy Bruno Trio featuring guest player, Scott Hamilton; The CD is called "Live At Birdland II".
I really enjoy Scott's playing. It reminds me a little bit of Dexter Gordon. Good luck on locating your friend.
Happy Holiday to you and yours! 
Keep on pickin' 'er fiddlin'!
Glenn |
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Mark Vinbury
From:
N. Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2006 2:10 pm
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Howard--I might be able to get a line on Scott.Some of his old bandmates etc. are still around.
Preston Hubbard comes to mind. I'm not sure how close they were but I remember jamming with them in the way back.
I'll see what I can find out.
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Howard Kalish
From:
Austin, Tx USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2006 2:30 pm
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Thanks for your replies
Glenn – That’s serendipitous, you listening to one of Scott’s recordings when my posting shows up. Ol’ Scott is definitely getting the hang of it.
Mark – Preston lived here for a while when he was in the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Met him a few times but never made the Scott connection. I appreciate anything you can find out.
I found an article about him on Wikipedia that says he now lives in London and tours Europe regularly. He probably wont be making it to Texas anytime soon, but I'd still like to chat with him.
[This message was edited by Howard Kalish on 21 December 2006 at 03:02 PM.] |
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Jerry Gleason
From:
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2006 6:33 pm
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Howard, Here's a nice video of Scott from a performance at a recent Jazz festival in Spain. The audio quailty is only fair, but the playing is great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmVr2cm1D4Q
The guitarist featured in this video, David Mitchell, is a good friend of mine. I'll email Dave and see if he knows how to contact Scott, and let you know by email if I find out anything. |
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Billy Wilson
From:
El Cerrito, California, USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2006 8:27 am
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| great video, thanks |
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Howard Kalish
From:
Austin, Tx USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2006 9:30 am
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Jerry - That's a real nice video. I didn't think of looking him up on youtube.
Your friend David sounds great on there. I hope he can help warm up the trail. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Howard Kalish
From:
Austin, Tx USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2006 9:42 am
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| Yes Gerald, I fell in with a bad crowd when we moved to Southfield and now look at me. |
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