Hampton was born on 20th April 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky, but moved to Chicago as a child, where he began his career as a drummer. He relocated to Los Angeles to play drums in Les Hite's band. They soon became the house band for Frank Sebastian's New Cotton Club, a popular L.A. jazz club.
During a 1930 recording date in the NBC studios in L.A., Louis Armstrong discovered a vibraphone. He asked Hampton if he could play it. Hampton, who knew how to play the xylophone, tried it and they agreed to record a few records with Hamp on vibes. Hampton is credited with popularizing the vibraphone as a jazz instrument.
In the mid-1930s, the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton play. Goodman asked Hampton to move to New York City and join Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa who'd already formed a Benny Goodman Trio within the large band - to expand into the Benny Goodman Quartet. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated bands to record and play before wide audiences; they were just as well received at Goodman's famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert as was the full Goodman band.
While Hampton worked for Goodman in New York, he recorded with several different small groups known as the Lionel Hampton Orchestra as well as assorted small groups within the Goodman band. In the early 40s he left the Goodman organization to form his own touring band.
Hampton's band fostered the talents of Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Ernie Royal, Jack McVea, Charlie Mingus, Monk Montgomery, Wes Montgomery, Quincy Jones, Benny Golson, Fats Navarro, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Arnett Cobb, Earl Bostic, and John Colianni among many others.
Hampton's recording of "Flying Home" (1939) with the famous honking tenor sax solo by Jacquet, later refined and expanded by Cobb (1946), is considered by some to be the first rock and roll record. He was known for his tireless energy and his skill on the vibes, drums, and lightning speed two-fingered piano. The bars on the vibraphone are laid out like the piano; Hampton played both instruments the same way.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, Hampton and his band started playing at the University of Idaho's jazz concert, which in 1985 was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. In 1987 the University's music college was renamed the Lionel Hampton School of Music, the first and only university music college to be named after a jazz musician.
Lionel Hampton died of cardiac arrest at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York on 31st August 2002. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.
Air Mail Special
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Traveling south so wide and high
Sailing through the wide blue yonder
It's that air mail special on the fly
Listen to the motors humming
She is streaking through the sky
Like a bird that's flying homeward
Over plains and high dark mountains
Over rivers deep and wide
Carrying mail to California
It's that air mail special on the fly
Watch her circle for the landing
Hear her moan and cough and sigh
Now she's coming down the runway
It's that air mail special on the fly
The lyrics of Lionel Hampton's song Air Mail Special describe the feeling of witnessing an airplane, carrying mail, flying through the sky. The singer is in awe of the plane's speed and power, as it travels from New York to California. The lyrics use imagery of birds, with the plane being compared to flying homeward, and the song paints a picture of vast landscapes, as the plane travels over plains, mountains, and rivers. The lyrics also suggest a certain sense of excitement and anticipation, as the plane circles the landing strip and prepares to touch down.
Overall, the song captures the wonder and excitement of a time when airplanes were still a novelty, and air mail was an innovative and exciting way of delivering mail across long distances. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the experience of watching an air mail plane in flight, and the combination of the upbeat tempo and energetic instrumental performance create a sense of excitement and anticipation.
Line by Line Meaning
Left New York this morning early
The plane departed from New York City very early this morning.
Traveling south so wide and high
The plane is headed towards the southern end of the United States, and is flying at a high altitude.
Sailing through the wide blue yonder
The plane is flying through the expansive and open sky.
It's that air mail special on the fly
This is a special airplane used to deliver mail through the air at high speeds.
Listen to the motors humming
The sound of the airplane's engines can be heard clearly as it flies.
She is streaking through the sky
The airplane is traveling quickly through the atmosphere.
Like a bird that's flying homeward
The plane resembles a bird that is migrating to its home destination.
It's that air mail special on the fly
This is the special airplane that is used for air mail deliveries.
Over plains and high dark mountains
The plane is flying over flat grasslands and tall, shadowy mountain ranges.
Over rivers deep and wide
The airplane must fly over deep, wide bodies of water on its journey to California.
Carrying mail to California
The purpose of this airplane's mission is to deliver mail to California.
It's that air mail special on the fly
This is the unique and important airplane used for air mail deliveries.
Watch her circle for the landing
The airplane is circling in preparation for landing.
Hear her moan and cough and sigh
The airplane's engines are making strained and exhausted sounds as it nears the end of its journey to California.
Now she's coming down the runway
The airplane is making its final descent onto the landing strip.
It's that air mail special on the fly
This is the unique and important airplane used for air mail deliveries.
Contributed by Maria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mistermister668
Tracks:
A1 Airmail Special 00:00
A2 Soft Winds 07:38
B1 It's Only A Paper moon 13:51
B2 The Way You Look Tonight 20:43
Credits:
Vibraphone, Leader – Lionel Hampton
Oscar Peterson - Piano
Bass – Ray Brown
Clarinet – Buddy De Franco (tracks: B1, B2)
Drums – Buddy Rich
Recorded:
Tracks A1, A2 September 10, 1953
Track B1 April 13, 1954
Track B2 September 16, 1954
mistermister668
Tracks:
A1 Airmail Special 00:00
A2 Soft Winds 07:38
B1 It's Only A Paper moon 13:51
B2 The Way You Look Tonight 20:43
Credits:
Vibraphone, Leader – Lionel Hampton
Oscar Peterson - Piano
Bass – Ray Brown
Clarinet – Buddy De Franco (tracks: B1, B2)
Drums – Buddy Rich
Recorded:
Tracks A1, A2 September 10, 1953
Track B1 April 13, 1954
Track B2 September 16, 1954
신동혁 Donghyuk Shin Ph.D.
Thanks always for uploading great albums.
Ronald Unkel
A hell of multi instrumentalist, but mainly the vibes, Jazz Artists. I was fortunate too see his big-band at the Apollo Hall (wonky acoustics) around 1958/9 in Amsterdam. A great jazzy show. At times Lionel reminded me of Cab Calloway. But honestly folks a great swinging big jazz band that made the crowd go wild. Toodeloo’s &Cheers!
claudio martinez
Excelente!!! Hampton con una banda increíble!!!
ebaylistentomusic
This is one "all star" lineup that lives up to the billing. Wow!!!
Bojan Boskovic
Morning Moon by Lionel Hampton! Bless ya!
jackie hard-bop lady brown
wonderful , great , swing pure , i am in my musical heaven. .My friend enjoy it until to the beautiful night moon . i great ya from my heart
Jorge Cano
WONDERFUL
jm1ok3
✌️🎶✨📀
Michael Wright
All stars for sure!