Lionel Hampton- Lionel Plays Drums, Vibes, Piano

This $3.  I like Lionel Hampton a lot as well as any album that has smooth vibes.  This record, BTW, is French.

Hampton, born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1908, started his life as a drummer playing around Chicago before moving out to the West Coast around 1928.  While playing drums for Les Hite in California, Hampton started picking up the vibraphone.  When Hite’s band was picked to back up Louis Armstrong, Armstrong turned to Hampton to provide the vibes on two numbers.  Thus, Hampton’s career on the instrument was born.  After work with Benny Goodman, Hampton led his own band.  His output would slow as he aged.  Hampton would die in 2002, buried adjacent to Duke Ellington and Miles Davis.

This record was released in 1958 and is around his 22nd record, give or take.  Pretty good little record here.  As the title would suggest, it features his work on drums and piano, but most importantly, the vibraphone.  Again, this album is swinging.  I wanted to use almost every song as a sample.

So far samples, I decided to go all out.  For a sample on Hampton’s vibe work, I submit Cole Porter’s “Just One Of Those Things”.  His drum work is in full effect on “Tracking Problems”.  “Blues For Stephen” showcases the piano.  Finally, what I imagine is Hampton’s vocals can be heard on “And The Angels Sing”. I realize this is four songs and a bit lazy on my part but again, this is a real good album.

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