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.
Mood Indigo
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You ain't never been blue,
Till you've had that mood indigo.
That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes
While I just sit here and sigh, "Go 'long blues".
I always get that mood indigo,
Since my baby said goodbye.
I'm so lonely I could cry.
'Cause there's nobody who cares about me,
I'm just a poor fool that's bluer than blue can be.
When I get that mood indigo,
I could lay me down and die.
You ain't never been blue; no, no, no,
You ain't never been blue,
Till you've had that mood indigo.
That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes
While I just sit here and sigh, "Go 'long blues".
The song Mood Indigo by Lionel Hampton is a poignant and introspective reflection on the emotions of love and loss. The opening lines of the song, "You ain't never been blue; no, no, no, You ain't never been blue, Till you've had that mood indigo" evoke a sense of profound sadness that one can only experience after having lost a loved one. The use of the term "mood indigo" paints a vivid picture of the color blue, representing the deep melancholy and loneliness felt by the singer. As the song progresses, we learn that the singer is heartbroken over the loss of their significant other, and the subsequent loneliness and despair is almost palpable.
The lyrics, "I always get that mood indigo, Since my baby said goodbye. And in the evenin' when the lights are low, I'm so lonely I could cry" beautifully convey the sense of emptiness and longing that comes with heartbreak. The singer feels completely alone in the world, with no one to turn to, and the pain of separation is all-consuming. In the final lines, "When I get that mood indigo, I could lay me down and die," the singer seems to be at the breaking point, with nothing left to live for.
Overall, Mood Indigo is a powerful and emotive song that speaks to the deep human need for connection and love, and the heartbreak that comes with its loss.
Line by Line Meaning
You ain't never been blue; no, no, no,
You have never experienced true sadness
You ain't never been blue,
You have never felt the deep sadness that I have experienced
Till you've had that mood indigo.
Until you have felt the overwhelming sadness that is mood indigo
That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes
The sadness seeps into every part of my being
While I just sit here and sigh, "Go 'long blues".
All I can do is sit and let the sadness take over
I always get that mood indigo,
I constantly feel that overwhelming sadness
Since my baby said goodbye.
Ever since my lover left me
And in the evenin' when the lights are low,
Especially at night when everything is dark and quiet
I'm so lonely I could cry.
I am so alone that I feel like crying
'Cause there's nobody who cares about me,
No one in the world cares about me
I'm just a poor fool that's bluer than blue can be.
I am a pathetic person who is more sad than is imaginable
When I get that mood indigo,
Whenever I start feeling that deep sadness
I could lay me down and die.
I feel so overwhelmed with sadness that I could die
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, IRVING MILLS, BARNEY BIGARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
platelets4life
One of my favorite Jazz Musicians. There will never be another like him.
cesar
This man is a celebration to life, great musician, i love him... Mr. Lionel Hampton!
ChannelMaster720
Lionel was so joyful in his music! No wonder, these songs and instruments were TRUE music. The men were professionals who took their music seriously and played to the crowds. I love all the different pieces, piano, horns, drums and vibes. No doubt, Lionel could play them all. Even his one finger playing of the piano is out of sight! Love it all!! SYLVIA - FL
Alex Meijer
All those people in the audience are (when still living) 39 years older, I'll bet they still remember this night. Awesome, Mr Hampton is/was a legend.
AgaPadar
This band is amazing, just to see Ray Bryant, Cat Anderson, Joe Newman, Jimmy Maxwell, Arnett Cobb, Paul Moen, Earl Warren und Pepper Adams on one stage. Thank you for uploading this video!
2dasimmons
This is great entertainment! What joy, what wonderful music!! Go Lionel Hampton and band!!!
Stephanie Jeannot
This is one of my favorite songs of all times. I love it. So beautiful!
Patricio Hernández
Extraordinario músico.
CBN Pic`s Music EUROPE
Mr Lionel Hampton. As good as ever at the age of 70.
Brazilian Jazz Singer Pericles Emmanuel
Great video !!I love the expressions of happyness of Mr Lionel Hampton when he play.He swet's as a hell.Love the video.wonderful swing!!