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.
Tenderly
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The trembling trees embraced the breeze tenderly
Then you and I came wandering by
And lost in a sigh were we
The shore was kissed by sea and mist tenderly
I can't forget how two hearts met breathlessly
Your arms opened wide and closed me inside
You took my lips, you took my love so tenderly
In Lionel Hampton's song Tenderly, the lyrics describe a serene evening setting where the trees are gently swayed by the breeze. The two wandering individuals in the song are so deeply in love that they become lost in each other's presence. The sea and mist also embrace each other tenderly, and the two hearts in the song meet breathlessly. The song goes on to describe the embrace of the two lovers, with arms wide open and a soft kiss that evokes an intense feeling of tenderness.
The lyrics of Tenderly describe a serene and tranquil environment where the lovers' emotions are heightened by the peaceful and calm setting. The use of metaphors and poetic language creates a dreamy atmosphere that evokes a sense of tenderness, love, and affection. The metaphors used in the song include trees trembling and embracing the breeze, the shore being kissed by the sea and mist, and lovers taking each other's lips and love tenderly.
Line by Line Meaning
The evening breeze caressed the trees tenderly
The wind blew gently over the trees, as if comforting them.
The trembling trees embraced the breeze tenderly
The trees gently swayed, welcoming the breeze and allowing it to pass through them.
Then you and I came wandering by
We happened to be walking by each other by chance.
And lost in a sigh were we
We were so overwhelmed by emotions that we couldn't help but let out a sigh.
The shore was kissed by sea and mist tenderly
The sea and mist gently touched the shore, as if embracing it with fondness.
I can't forget how two hearts met breathlessly
I will always remember the moment when we first met, as it took our breath away.
Your arms opened wide and closed me inside
You hugged me tightly, enveloping me in your embrace.
You took my lips, you took my love so tenderly
You kissed me softly and accepted my love with great gentleness and care.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GUY WILLIAM LAWRENCE, HOWARD JOHN LAWRENCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Benn
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a mad keen 74yo Aussie fan.