He emerged in the 1970s and at the time he was considered to be one of the few musicians of real talent who carried the tradition of the classic jazz tenor saxophone in the style of Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins as well as Zoot Sims and Don Byas forward. He began playing in various rhythm & blues outfits in Providence (Rhode Island), but subsequently shifted to jazz and the tenor saxophone. In 1976 he moved to New York City at, in part the recommendation of Roy Eldridge. He there joined Benny Goodman for a period of time. During this time, he also developed an alcohol problem.,[1] In the early 1980's he had formed his own quintet and toured all over the world. By then free from his drinking habit, in 1982 he had matured sufficiently to be able to break away from the spell of mainly Ben Webster and Zoot Sims, of whom he had been criticized of imitating. From this point on both his playing and his tone was very much his own.
Living in New York City, he toured all around the world during the 1980's, playing Japan and all over Europe. He was in particular a recurrent visitor to the UK, Sweden and the Grand Parade du Jazz, held in Nice, France. By the early 1990's he was ready for a next step and by 1994 when he released Organic Duke, he had developed a quite singular style: a large, well rounded but still focused tone and improvising, ostensibly still based on the swing idiom (especially Ellington), but incorporating more modern elements. During this period, he relocated to London, and formed his current quartet, featuring John Pearce (p), Dave Green (b) and Steve Brown (dr). He is currently active touring all over Europe.
He has had over forty albums as a lead most on the Concord Records label.
Danny Boy
Scott Hamilton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,
But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying,
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
You'll come and find the place where I am lying,
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me,
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!
The song "Danny Boy" is a heartfelt lamentation of a lover bidding farewell to his beloved. Through the song, the lover bids farewell to his lover, Danny Boy, who must leave for unknown reasons. The pipes, possibly bagpipes, are calling Danny Boy back to his homeland, and the lover reminds him to come back when the summer has come or when the snow has covered the valley. The pipes play a significant role in this song as they represent the tragic parting of two souls that are deeply in love with each other.
The song's tone changes in the second verse as the lover anticipates death as an inevitable eventuality. When Danny Boy returns, he will find the lover's grave and say an Ave (prayer) to honor his memory. The lover also imagines the comfort that his spirit will have when Danny Boy visits his grave and tells him he loves him. The song's tragic tone adds a somber yet romantic resonance to the lover's journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
Danny, the sound of the bagpipes is summoning you.
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The sound echoes through the valleys and down the hillsides.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
The summer has ended, and the flowers are fading away.
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.
You must leave, and I must stay behind.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Return to me when summer fills the meadow with new life,
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
Or when the valley is tranquil and covered in snow,
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,
I'll be here for you, in the light or in the darkness,
Oh, Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so!
I love you so deeply, Danny Boy.
But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying,
When you return, and the flowers are wilting,
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
If I have passed away, as I may have,
You'll come and find the place where I am lying,
You'll come to where I rest,
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
And you'll kneel and say a prayer over me.
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me,
And, even though you walk softly over my grave,
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
My resting place will feel warmer and sweeter,
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
Because you'll lean down and declare your love to me,
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!
And I'll rest in peace until you come to me once again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FREDERICK E WEATHERLY, TAISUKE SAWACHIKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Whit Scott
Whit Scott's band! That's me.
Oh, wait. You meant, With Scott's band. Shoot.