Scott Hamilton

Scott Hamilton is considered to be the premier mainstream saxophonist of the day. He was born in Providence, RI, in 1954. He favored the style of jazz in which Illinois Jacquet and Eddie Lockjaw Davis played - small-group swing - that happened to be out of fashion at the time. He began to play when he was 16. Quickly developing, he moved to New York in 1976. He first appeared in the jazz scene in the middle of the 1970's with a swing style played on tenor saxophone (essentially a combination of the styles of Zoot Sims and Ben Webster), causing a minor sensation. Despite his handsome sound and impeccable phrasing, which were unusual, especially in jazz players of his young age, his being signed to Concord Records was a surprise. It also caused a great deal of excitement among fans of jazz and the wider musical world.

Hamilton's first set with Concord was "A Good Wind Who Is Blowing Us No Ill" in 1977. The title came from a remark by Leonard Feather in admiration of his style. This record was just a first in a long line of records with Concord. Since then, there have been over 30 releases. The albums range from Hamilton playing in conjunction with small groups to string orchestras to partnerships with other distinguished players (including Tony Bennett and Dave McKenna), as well as many other situations. No matter what the situation, his music is characterized by his creative imagination and the rich sound of his tenor saxophone. His CDs include "With Strings," "The Red Door" in which he and Bucky Pizzarelli Remember Zoot Sims, "Live in London," "Jazz Signatures," "Ballad Essentials," "Blues, Bop, Ballads," "After Hours," "East of the Sun," "At Last," "Tenorshoes," "Live at Birdland II," and "Late Night Christmas Eve." One of his most recent CDs is "Heavy Juice," in which he collaborated with fellow saxophonist Harry Allen. He also won a Grammy recently from a recording he made with Tony Bennett.

Hamilton most commonly plays ballads and blues, with underlying swing styles. He admits to influences from players such as John Coltrane. The tone he achieves from his tenor saxophone as well as his sense of swing allow him to create a feeling that is uniquely his own in all of his work.

Currently, Hamilton resides in London at the Pizza Express with his UK partners John Pearce (piano), Dave Green (bass), and Steve Brown (drums). Together they play a mixture of well-known and lesser-know works, with all four sharing solo opportunities. All four of them continually admit that they love the work they do. Hamilton, as well as working with small-group music based off of big-band swing, studies bebop.