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 Know What You Know
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And miss it each night and day
I know I'm not wrong, the feeling's getting stronger
The longer I stay away
Miss the moss-covered vines, tall sugar pines
Where mockingbirds used to sing
I'd love to see that old lazy Mississippi
The moonlight on the bayou
A Creole tune that fills the air
I dream about magnolias in bloom
And I'm wishin' I was there
Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
When that's where you left your heart
And there's one thing more, I miss the one I care for
More than I miss New Orleans
The song "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" was written by Eddie DeLange and Louis Alter in 1947 and was originally performed by Louis Armstrong in the movie "New Orleans". The song speaks of the homesickness and longing that one feels for their hometown, specifically New Orleans. The lyrics describe the various sights and sounds that make the city so unique and beloved, from the moss-covered vines to the Creole tune that fills the air. The singer asks if the listener knows what it means to miss New Orleans, where they left their heart and the person they care for.
There is a great deal of emotion and sentimentality in the song, making it a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners today. It has been covered by many artists over the years, including Billie Holiday, Harry Connick Jr., and Dr. John. The song has become synonymous with New Orleans and its rich musical heritage, becoming a staple of jazz and blues performances in the city.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
Are you familiar with the emotions that arise from longing for the city of New Orleans?
And miss it each night and day
Thinking about New Orleans occupies my mind every moment, day and night
I know I'm not wrong, the feeling's getting stronger
I am certain that this feeling is not a mistake, and it's intensifying as time passes
The longer I stay away
My desire increases with each passing moment I am not in New Orleans
Miss the moss-covered vines, tall sugar pines
I yearn for the sight of the mossy vines and the tall sugar pine trees
Where mockingbirds used to sing
I miss the sound of the mockingbirds singing in the trees
I'd love to see that old lazy Mississippi
I desire to witness the slow-moving Mississippi river once again
Hurrying into Spring
I miss watching the river reawaken and come to life as Spring arrives in New Orleans
The moonlight on the bayou
I wish to see the reflection of the moon on the water in the bayou
A Creole tune that fills the air
I long to hear the lively music emanating from the streets played in the Creole style
I dream about magnolias in bloom
In my dreams, I see the magnolia trees full of blooming flowers
And I'm wishin' I was there
I yearn to be back in New Orleans and enjoy all of its beauty once again
When that's where you left your heart
The city of New Orleans holds a special place in my heart because it's where I last found happiness and love
And there's one thing more, I miss the one I care for
In addition to missing the city, the person I love is also absent, making my heart ache even more
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eddie De Lange, Louis Alter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
WizardNoel
I like this music
Kruno🎵
Stiti stiti