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.
I Cover The Waterfront
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm watching the sea,,
Will the one I love,
Be coming back to me?
I cover the waterfront,
In search of my love,
And I'm covered by,
Here am I,
Patiently waiting,
Hoping and longing,
Oh! How I yearn!
Where are you?
Are you forgetting?
Do you remember?
Will you return?
I cover the waterfront,
I'm watching the sea,
For the one I love,
Must come back to me.
The song "I Cover The Waterfront" by Lionel Hampton is a classic tune about a lover waiting for their significant other to return. The song begins with the singer proclaiming that they are always watching the sea, hoping and waiting for their loved one to come back. The singer then reveals that they are covering the waterfront in search of their love, but are instead covered by a starless sky above. The lyrics paint a picture of the singer's deep longing for their loved one to return, and their unwavering commitment to wait until that happens.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's patience and hopefulness in the face of their lover's absence. They are willing to wait as long as it takes for their loved one to return, and are confident that they will come back to them. The final verse reiterates the singer's commitment to watching the sea and covering the waterfront until their love returns. It is a heartfelt and emotional song that captures the essence of waiting for someone you love.
Line by Line Meaning
I cover the waterfront,
I am looking for my lover by covering every inch of the waterfront.
I'm watching the sea,
I am keeping a watchful eye on the sea for any sign of my lover's return.
Will the one I love,
I am unsure if the person I love will come back to me.
Be coming back to me?
I am eager for my lover to return to me.
In search of my love,
I am searching for my love all over the waterfront.
And I'm covered by,
The sky above me is devoid of any stars and I feel lost and alone.
A starless sky above.
The sky above me is devoid of any stars and I feel lost and alone.
Here am I,
I am here, waiting for my lover to return.
Patiently waiting,
I am waiting with patience, hoping for my lover's return.
Hoping and longing,
I am filled with hopes and desires for my lover's return.
Oh! How I yearn!
I am filled with an intense longing and desire for my lover's return.
Where are you?
I am wondering where my lover is and why they haven't returned yet.
Are you forgetting?
I am wondering if my lover has forgotten about me.
Do you remember?
I am wondering if my lover remembers me and our love.
Will you return?
I am eager and hopeful for my lover's return.
For the one I love,
I am waiting for the return of the person I love.
Must come back to me.
It is crucial for my lover to return to me, and I am hopeful that they will do so soon.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EDWARD HEYMAN, JOHN W. GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Juan Pablo Arcos Rodríguez
Excelente!
Miguel Angel Olondriz
Me gusta , se parece a Milt Jackson , el que toca el vibráfono del Modern Jazz Quartet, Ayer estuve navegando tu canal durante una hora . me gustó mucho. saludos seguiré con mis subidas a partir del 7 de Enero , pues voy a pasar el dia de Reyes a Tarragona con mis hijas y mi nieto Chao ¡¡
Antonio Jiménez
Eres el mejor! La cosas hay que hacerlas de una vez, como enseñaban antaño. Saludos y gracias por tu amable comentario.