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.
When Lights Are Low
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
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Blending in a soft and sweet refrain
As around the floor, dear, we are dancing
Swaying to a fascinating strain
Sweet music soft and mellow
Soothing and slow
Strains of a mellow 'cello
Dear, we're so close together I love you so
Why think about the weather
When lights are low
Two hearts revealing
Music hath charms
Life's so appealing
With inspiration, in your arms
Our lips meeting soft and tender
Love's all aglow
Why shouldn't we surrender
When lights are low
Listen how happy hearts are beating
Like the ocean beats upon the sand
And our feet in rhythm keep repeating
Ev'ry little movement of the band
Sweet music soft and mellow
Soothing and slow
Strains of a mellow 'cello
When lights are low
Dear, we're so close together I love you so
Why think about the weather
When lights are low
Two hearts revealing
Music hath charms
Life's so appealing
With inspiration, in your arms
Our lips meeting soft and tender
Love's all aglow
Why shouldn't we surrender
When lights are low
"When Lights Are Low" is a romantic ballad that celebrates love and music. Lionel Hampton's song starts with a lyrical invitation to an intoxicating melody that draws people closer, making them want to dance. As the song progresses, the music becomes more sensual and evocative, inspiring the couple to let go of their worries and surrender to their passion. The lyrics express the sentiment that nothing else matters when the lights are low and two lovers are wrapped in each other's arms.
The imagery employed in the song, such as the ocean beating upon the sand and the feet keeping in rhythm with the band, evoke sensuality and romance. The song's use of the 'cello, a symbol of melodic grace and love, conveys the depth of emotion in its melody. The music swells as the lyrics intimate the couple's love for each other, and the song's rhythm intensifies, evoking the sounds of the two hearts beating together.
The music and lyrics of "When Lights Are Low" are a perfect combination of sensitivity, romance, and passion. Its smooth and rhythmical melody adds to its romantic feel, making it perfect for slow dances. Lionel Hampton and Johnny Mercer, who were both accomplished musicians and songwriters in their own right, collaborated on this classic song that has been covered by many artists over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to the melody entrancing
Pay attention to the captivating tune
Blending in a soft and sweet refrain
Mixing with a gentle and pleasant chorus
As around the floor, dear, we are dancing
As we dance around the room, my love
Swaying to a fascinating strain
Moving to a spellbinding melody
Sweet music soft and mellow
Melodic music that is gentle and calm
Soothing and slow
Relaxing and gentle-paced
Strains of a mellow 'cello
Sounds of a smooth cello
When lights are low
In the dimly-lit room
Dear, we're so close together I love you so
Darling, we are intimately near and I love you deeply
Why think about the weather
Why worry about the weather
Two hearts revealing
Two hearts confessing their love
Music hath charms
Music has magical powers
Life's so appealing
Life is very attractive
With inspiration, in your arms
With motivation, embraced in your arms
Our lips meeting soft and tender
Our mouths touching gently and lovingly
Love's all aglow
Love is shining brightly
Why shouldn't we surrender
Why wouldn't we give in to our love
Listen how happy hearts are beating
Hear how joyous our hearts are pulsating
Like the ocean beats upon the sand
Like the sea hitting the shore
And our feet in rhythm keep repeating
And our feet keep repeating the beat of the music
Ev'ry little movement of the band
Every slight movement of the orchestra
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Benny Carter, Spencer Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ericseal4453
A jazz masterpiece! Hamp, Dizzy, Ben Webster, and other jazz greats!
@dencebluesrock
Perfect
@KVaumoron
Great thx
@sclogse1
Should be a version of this with Christian, Hinton, Cole, and probably Clyde Hart, and no Hampton...written about by Andre Hodeir as a jazz touchstone in his classic book on jazz from the fifties...."Jazz, It's Evolution and Essence."
@wpl955g9
Man, I remember how awful I felt when I broke my 78 of this... I now have three copies. And the flip side, Central Avenue Breakdown! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrQ6yVY7Ha8