If you have an interest in Jazz drumming, Jeff Hamilton spoils you.
He doesn’t follow a standard of excellence for good taste and drive in the drum chair; Jeff sets the standard. Jeff always comes to play and his playing is always superb.
Nothing is thrown in or thrown away. With Jeff, every bar of music counts and every bar he plays is musical.
One of the qualities that I admired in the work of Larry Bunker, the late drummer, vibraphonist and pianist, was that whatever the musical setting, Larry made a difference.
When Larry replaced Chico Hamilton with Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, the quartet became more hard-driving and forceful. He was trumpeter and composer Shorty Rogers drummer of choice in either a big band or a small group setting. “He makes things happen in the music,” said Shorty. When pianist Bill Evans was in Hollywood and looking for a replacement for drummer Paul Motian, the unanimous recommendation from the studio pros was Larry. Bill later said of his year-and-a-half tenure with Larry: “His time was always so strong and his drumming so discriminating.” And when, Claire Fischer formed his big band, he said of Larry: “There was no other choice to fill the drum chair. Larry is not just a drummer, he is a complete musician.”
Jeff Hamilton is this kind of drummer. You never overlook him. Not because he draws attention to himself, but because of the attention he draws to the music at hand by his contributions to it.
Woody Herman once said: “Davy Tough, Don Lamond and Jake Hanna all made my band their own, and so did Jeff Hamilton. That’s pretty damned good company.”
You can run but you can’t hide as the drummer is a piano, bass and drums trio.
Many drummers overplay in such an intimate setting, but not Jeff who always brings the perfect blend of time-keeping, adding color and, when called upon, masterful solo interpretations to trios led by pianist Monty Alexander, bassist Ray Brown and his own, current group with Tamir Hendelman on piano and Christoph Luty on bass.
Drummers like Jeff make you proud to be associated with the instrument and we wanted to recognize and salute him on these pages with the following overview of his career as drawn from his website: www.hamiltonjazz.com/ and with the video tribute that concludes this piece.
“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. 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 the 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 Avon 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. Jeff is currently touring with his own Trio, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and vocalist-pianist, Diana Krall.
In addition to his many recordings with Ray Brown, Jeff has been on nearly 200 recordings with artists such as Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Milt Jackson, Rosemary Clooney, Barbara Streisand, Mel Torme, John Pizzarelli, Benny Carter, Lalo Schifrin, George Shearing, Dr. John, Clark Terry, Gene Harris, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Scott Hamilton, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Keely Smith, Bill Holman, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Mark Murphy. Jeff is a frequent guest of the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany. He also appeared in Natalie Cole's Great Performances PBS special, Unforgettable and an Oscar Peterson documentary, Life In The Key Of Oscar.”
Jeff currently leads a wonderful trio with Tamir Hendelman on piano, a technical and artistic marvel, and Christoph Luty on bass, a steady and sophisticated swinger.
But for the accompanying video to this piece, I wanted to reach back to an earlier version of the trio with Larry Fuller on piano and Lynn Seaton on bass performing at Nick’s Jazz Cafe in Laren, The Netherlands, on October 10, 1996. The tune is entitled Max and Jeff wrote it.
When we listen to a big band, what we hear is a formed tonal entity - the whole equaling the sum of its parts.
The composer-arranger gives the tonality its form through the structure of the notes given to each instrument to play and these are further shaped into various melodies and harmonies throughout the piece.
But there is another element “shaping” the sound of the big band as its plays the arranger's "charts" - the drummer.
Jeff Hamilton, who has been a premier drummer on the big band scene for the past four decades, beginning with Woody Herman in the 1970s, Bill Holman in the 1980s and continuing through to today as a co-leader of the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, explains why this is so in the following excerpt from Bill Dobbins, ed. Conversations with Bill Holman: Thoughts and Recollections of a Jazz Master, a work we plan to review in its entirety.
Jeff Hamilton
Top jazz drummer and co-leader of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
"The first I became aware of Bill Holman was through his charts for Buddy Rich's band. There was a certain sound that Bill had that I wasn't aware of when I was 16 or 17 years old. But after that I soon grew to understand what Bill Holman’s writing was. I learned that his music needed to be played at the tempo in which he envisioned it from the get go. As a drummer, you need to learn to be sort of an orchestrator/co-ar ranger to set up the next section of the piece without being obvious about it. This later became so apparent to me, especially by playing in his band.
He heard Mel Lewis as the glue from segment to segment, from background to shout chorus to melody out. He had Mel Lewis in his head. I learned this from knowing Mel, being friends with Mel, studying Mel and then knowing Bill's writing, learning Bill's writing and putting the two together. They were like one person. Knowing Mel, his playing and his views of how to play the music, taught me that the drummers task was to feel like a big overstuffed sofa the band can sit on when they're playing. Not lay on; but a sofa they can sit on. That's how comfortable the band should be in order to play the music.
Playing Bill's music feels comfortable if you let it come in. If you force it, it's not going to sound the same. A good example of this was when I travelled with Bill to Cologne, Germany, for a recording project with the WDR Big Band. I love Bill Holman and I felt a lot of friendship and respect from Bill Holman over the years so I knew he trusted me with the music he wrote. But I also knew that nobody could play his music from the drum chair like Mel Lewis. I respected that and I knew that I couldn't play the music as well as Mel, but I would do my damnedest to bring what I could to his music. I said, 'Let me know if there's anything you want me to do to help this band come together. I've played these charts with you in your band, so let me know if I need to do something.'
About one arrangement he said, 'The shout chorus always seems to pick up a little tempo-wise.' I said, 'I noticed that, but I thought you wrote it that way, like you wanted to goose it a little bit on the shout chorus.' And he says, "No. Keep letter C in mind when you get to the shout chorus.' (Letter C was simply played by a couple of saxophones.) That was such a huge lesson for me because I ignored the shout chorus. I went to letter C when they went to the shout chorus and Bill looked up at me at the fourth bar, winked at me, and chuckled with that wry smile of his. That's the subtlety, often overlooked, that Bill Holman brings to the music.
A shout chorus is a shout chorus; it's on the ceiling. But Bill's underneath supporting all of that like Mel was on the sofa. It's the same thing. That's why those two guys were so compatible; they thought the same way about the music. He let all the bombs burst in there but wanted that comfortable sofa underneath.
So Bill was recording a Woody Herman tribute and Wolfgang Hirschmann, manager of the WDR Big Band, says, 'We should bring Al Porcino in on this.' Al lived in and had gotten his own big band together in Dusseldorf. He was on that particular date as a third trumpet player because he was no longer playing lead trumpet. So there was also a hot young trumpet player as well as a good jazz player from Germany. We're rehearsing this tune and Al's kind of laying out. Halfway through Bill says, 'OK, let's record this.' Al says, in his halting voice, 'Willis! Hold it! Hold it, Willis!' We all stop and Bill says, 'What is it Al?' Al says, 'In my part, you've got jazz written at letter E. I don't play jazz!' And Bill said, while the bands kind of chuckling, 'Well, pass it down to another trumpet player.' Al says, ‘I’ll do just that, Willis.' And Al passes the part down to another guy. As they're exchanging parts, Al says, 'You know, they called Roy Eldridge "Little Jazz". Well, they call me "VERY Little Jazz".’ (Much laughter.)
On that same trip I said to Willis, 'Do you realize that I have to think like Mel Lewis? I don't lose myself, but I think like Mel Lewis in order to play your music properly. I think you have Mel Lewis in your mind every time you put your pencil to paper. And I think, "What's Mel Lewis going to do to make that music pop off the page, to make it work?" You know he's the glue from this section to that section. Mel Lewis is your guy. Do you think of anyone else when you write?' And Bill looked at me and said, 'Hmm. You might be right.' It's like he'd never thought about it. And I said, 'You have early Duke Ellington and Sonny Greer when it was the Washingtonians and Duke was the piano player, but he had to write with Sonny in mind on those '20s arrangements because Sonny was the leader. And then it became Sam Woodyard and Louis Bellson when he was writing later on.' Ralph Burns had Don Lamond. Bob Florence had Nick Ceroli. Every arranger has his own drummer, and I pointed all of those things out to him. Bill Holman had Mel Lewis.
You cannot not study Mel Lewis and play drums in Bill Holman's band. And that's one of my beefs with drummers who play in Bill Holman's band and haven't studied Mel, and won't give in to that. You can never sound like Mel Lewis but you have to study what he did to bring that to the music, because that's what Bill is hearing!"”
“Trio is the basic platform for expression for guitar. You can accompany yourself and still play Jazz choruses. You can make the group sound like a big band; you can make it quiet. You get a good feeling and you get to have fun.”
-Guitarist Barry Zweig as told to Zan Stewart, Los Angeles Times, 11.6.1997
When he is not in the company of vocalists - Tierney Sutton, Janis Mann, Diana Krall, Polly Gibbons, Barbra Streisand, Roberta Gambarini, Jackie Ryan and Natalie Cole come to mind - pianist Tamir Hendelman is featured with drummer Jeff Hamilton’s trio and, along with bassist John Clayton, he and Jeff form the rhythm section for the brilliant Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
If that’s not enough, he heads up his own trio with Alex Frank on bass and Dean Koba on drums and also works on various projects as a sort of consulting musical director for George’s Klabin’s Resonance Records for whom he has recorded a CD entitled Destinations with bassist Marco Panascia and drummer Lewis Nash [[RCD-1017].
To put it succinctly, in any Jazz setting, Tamir is an conservatory trained [Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY] Jazz musician who swings his backside off. Thankfully, the former didn’t interfere with the latter.
His ability to function in either environment - a classical conservatory or a Jazz club - brings to mind the early career of Andre Previn. Perhaps another commonality between Tamir and Andre is that each had a close and long term friendship with a premier Jazz drummer: in Andre’s case it was with Shelly Manne; in Tamir’s it’s been an almost 20 year association with Jeff Hamilton.
Jeff’s long involvement with piano, bass and drums trio Jazz dating back to his work in the 1970s with Monty Alexander [with bassist John Clayton] and continuing with pianists Gene Harris, Benny Green, and Geoff Keezer [all with the legendary bassist, Ray Brown] and his own trio with pianist Larry Fuller, and now, Tamir, have no doubt been of inestimable value to Hendelman.
Knowing how to keep things interesting with only three musicians performing each tune on the same instrument takes great skill and lots of imagination.
Which bring us to the opening quotation by guitarist Barry Zweig about the trio being a basic platform for expression. In this format, there no place to hide: the listener hears everything.
And yet because of this heightened exposure, the trio platform is also a great place to experiment with familiar songs and tunes by playing them in keys that give them a different sonority, sometimes modulating to other keys within the same tune. Tempo changes, Latin beats, styles ranging from Boogie Woogie to Classical counterpoint to Bossa Nova, adding, riffs, extensions and tags [turnarounds], mixing in original compositions with Jazz Standards and selections from the Great American Songbook to vary the program of offerings - these and other musical devices and elements can all be applied to the trio platform to engage and entertain the listener.
All of this and more is on display on the thirteen tracks that make up Playground [Swingbros CMSB-28022]Tamir’s first CD as a leader on which he is joined by bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton.
Here’s a narrative the contains background information on Tamir and how the Playground CD came to be.
“It all began with a concert in New York. In January 2007, after a duo set with NY bassist Jay Leonhart, pianist Tamir Hendelman was approached by Swing Bros, producer Mr. Ikuyoshi Hirakawa. Mr. Hirakawa had seen the artist perform with the Jeff Hamilton Trio and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra in his native Japan. After hearing the evening's performance, he invited Tamir to record his first trio album with Jeff and John and the seed for Playground was planted.
Growing up in Israel, Tamir Hendelman began keyboard studies at age 6 in Tel Aviv. At age 12, concerts given by Bobby McFerrin and Chick Corea were a revelation on the freedom of jazz music. Within a year, his family moved to Los Angeles, and by 14, Tamir had already won his first accolade in Yamaha's national keyboard competition. At 15, he toured Japan with Yamaha's Junior Original Concert group of young composers/performers. Jazz piano studies with Clare Fischer, Billy Childs and Joe Harnell followed. This led to a summer at Tanglewood and a composition degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.
Summers, Tamir would return to LA, performing with saxophonists Teddy Edwards, Rickey Woodard and Jeff Clayton. His love of the Great American Songbook would lead to collaborations with vocalists such as Tierney Sutton and Barbara Morrison.
In 1999, after a duo set in an LA jazz club, Tamir was approached by drummer Jeff Hamilton, who was in attendance and was impressed with Tamir's musical approach. Jeff's musical associations since the 70’s include Monty Alexander's Trio, Ray Brown and the Oscar Peterson trio, among many others. It wasn't long after this meeting that Tamir was invited to join Jeff's trio.
Tamir returned to Japan with the Jeff Hamilton Trio in 2000. It was then he truly experienced the Japanese audience's love of Jazz. In 2001, he joined the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (CHJO), conducted by jazz and classical virtuoso bassist/composer/arranger and Ray Brown's favorite protege, John Clayton.
Tamir would later return to Japan for concerts with the CHJO and John Pizzarelli in 2004 and 2006 and most recently in 2008 with vocalists Natalie Cole and Roberta Gambarini and his own trio.
In recent years, in addition to touring and recording with the Hamilton Trio and CHJO, Tamir has become known as arranger/plan first with vocalists like Roberta Gambarini and Jackie Ryan, has performed with Houston Person and James Moody and more, all in addition to his own solo and trio activities.
The arrival of Tamir Hendelman's debut CD in Japan brings him full circle to a place where he first observed: "Japanese audiences are some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated jazz fans. They really listen with their hearts."
One of Tamir's most special memories was in 2001, the year he joined the CHJO and performed Oscar Peterson's Canadiana Suite. The tradition of jazz music has always been about a brotherhood of musical sharing. The genre's elders pass on their knowledge and encouragement to aspiring young talents.
One such figure is piano legend Oscar Peterson, whose passing in 2007 left echoes of his greatness in the jazz world. Peterson's music, loved by many, has been a great influence on jazz pianists of the next generation. He himself nurtured young talents, watching over them and sharing his insights.
On August 21, 2001, the CHJO premiered John Clayton's new orchestration of Oscar Peterson's Canadiana Suite at the Hollywood Bowl. The crowd of 17,000 music lovers celebrated the occasion graced by Peterson, the honored guest. At the piano was Tamir Hendelman.
Oscar Peterson wrote his thoughts on his web journal on Sept. 10, 2001:
"As I sat In the wings, I was exhilarated to hear this different and thoughtful reading of my compositions... I must single out some wonderful and creative solo segments by a young pianist named Tamir Hendelman. It was a satisfying feeling to follow the various tunes and then suddenly hear a new young voice make some exhilarating and thoughtful solos in the spaces that I used to occupy in those pieces. I was not only pleased to hear this invigorating performance of my work, but also refreshed by the inventive passages provided by Tamir. I look forward to hearing more from him."
And, as to the trio platform, Tamir delineates how he embellished and modified each of the tunes on Playground in the following annotations, as told to Makoto Gotoh:
ABOUT THE SONGS
1 DRIFTIN' - A groovy tune from Herbie Hancock's Blue Note debut album back in 1962, TAKIN' OFF. While it was written by Hancock, Tamir's interpretation of it has the natural groove of the Oscar Peterson Trio. Jeff's drumming is featured in the last 4 verses.
2 I'M OLD FASHIONED - Speaking of the song, Tamir said "I like the melody and Jerome Kern's sense of harmony." The contrast created by the intricate rhythm patterns and the bass lines is fresh and innovative. Once it gets into the solo, it starts to swing powerfully, solidly supported by the veteran rhythm section of John and Jeff. Pay close attention to the subtle brush work by Jeff in the last half until the tune swings into the last theme.
3 PLAYGROUND - Two weeks before the recording, Tamir was inspired to compose this tune. "It captures the mood of this album and this period of my life. This is an especially happy time, with the birth of my daughter Zoe. My wife and I would take her to the playground and watch her smile as she would swing." The structure is complex and elusive: A short bass solo segues to the 8 bar syncopated intro. The first theme mostly continues the syncopation in phrases of 6,8 and 6 bars before repeating. An extended bridge returns to the intro, then the solo. Finally, the bridge reprises and returns us to the intro. The trio plays this intricate piece with a flawless execution and easy, natural swing which belie its complex nature.
4 SYCAMORE - This is a beautiful cinematic ballad. "My father and I would often take walks along our sycamore-lined street, talking about life, when I was growing up. The quiet rustle of the leaves in the breeze and my father's way of listening and being always made me feel peaceful and refreshed after our walk." The performances are subtle and moving, highlighted by Clayton's superb bowing.
5 TIGER'S LAIR - "This tune is about being strong, taking risks, living life as an adventure." Contributing to the theme's modern feel, the 32-bar form's A sections are all in 5/4 time. What characterizes this performance most is its harmonized melody, single note runs and left hand work reminiscent of early McCoy Tyner.
6 IT'S ONLY A PAPER MOON - "It's only a paper moon sailing over a cardboard sea..." Nat King Cole made this song a favorite. Jeff Hamilton's brush solo evokes a soft shoe tap routine. The groove reminds you of Ray Brown, the piano tickles, and in the interlude towards the end, the exquisite brush work by Jeff Hamilton, shines through.
7 IT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND - Inspired by young Miles Davis' famous version, Tamir found his own take on this bittersweet song. John Clayton's arco playing conjures up the sound of a human voice. The piano, delicate and subtle in sound, softly sings the melody in the theme.
8 DO NOTHIN' TILL YOU HEAR IT FROM ME - This is a contemporary arrangement of a classic made famous by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Tamir's performance is grounded with a bluesy feel. John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton provide a soulful groove.
9 SPRING ACTION - The song is about movement. After an 8 bar intro, we hear the theme, full of accents and minor tonalities. The piano then solos for 2 choruses on the tune's 40 bar AABCA form. After some quick trades with the drums we return to the theme. Watch out for the ending, played in octaves like Phineas Newborn.
10 SINGING IN THE RAIN - "I have loved this tune ever since I heard it in the movie as a child. In my own version, I tried to imagine the quiet feeling of the sound of rain." Featured in it are a pizzicato solo by John Clayton and a piano solo by Tamir, inspiring that visual image of Gene Kelly dancing in the rain.
11 I'M GETTING SENTIMENTAL OVER YOU - John Clayton is featured in this rendition of the famous tune also well known as "the theme song" of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The first theme's melody is played by bass in pizzicato, picked up by piano only in the bridge. Tamir plays the first solo in a pleasant groove.
12 THE CAPE VERDEAN BLUES - An original song written by Horace Silver in 1965 following his hit SONG FOR MY FATHER. After the intro, the piano playing and the arrangement of which are reminiscent of Chick Corea, Tamir's piano passionately sings the dynamic melody against the rhythmic background of beats drummed by Jeff Hamilton.
13 ALMOST SUMMER - Tamir's original ballad in his words: "One summer afternoon, after a long recording day in Utah, I stepped out of the studio to get some fresh air. And when I saw the sun setting over the mountains out there, this melody came to me. I am attracted to tunes with strong and lyrical melodies, melodies that get etched in the listener's mind. Through my music, I would like to create stories, depicting the atmosphere of the scene and human emotions. I want to take my listeners out to another place. Jazz is a kind of music where you get to show who you are through your performance. There are many individual ways to do that, and you can be yourself doing it your own way - I think that's wonderful."
April, 2008,
Makoto Gotoh
Tamir’s astounding and accomplished talents are on display in the Horace Silver’s Cape Verdean Blues which forms the soundtrack to the following video montage. Can you hear the key change[s]?
