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.
Little Drummer Boy
Scott Hamilton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
When we come
I am a poor boy too, pa-rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give our King pa- rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum
on my drum?
Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him pa -rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum
The Little Drummer Boy is a classic Christmas song that tells the story of a young, poor boy who is invited to see the newborn King. The lyrics paint a heartwarming image of the boy's encounter with the baby Jesus and his humble attempt to honor him with his best skill: playing his drum. The lyrics tell the story of the boy's journey to meet Jesus, where he is welcomed with open arms by Mary and the animals in the stable. He plays his drum for the baby Jesus, hoping to offer him something that will bring joy and praise to the King.
The song’s opening lines set the tone, with a resounding "pa-rum pum pum pum" that mimics the sound of a drumbeat. The boy is invited to see the newborn King, and he wants to offer his finest gifts to lay before him. He is humble enough to recognize that he has nothing to give, except his skill at playing the drum. The story takes a heartwarming turn when he plays his drum for the baby Jesus, and Jesus smiles at him, recognizing his humble offering.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, they told me pa-rum pum pum pum
The story of a newborn King has been shared with me through the sounds of drums
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
We are going to see the newborn king and pay our respects
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
We bring our best gifts to lay before the king
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
Our offerings are meant to be laid out as a gift to the king
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
The continuous drumbeat sets the mood for our arrival
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
We have come to honor and pay our respects to the king
When we come
We will arrive to see the newborn king
Little Baby pa-rum pum pum pum
I see a little baby in front of me
I am a poor boy too, pa-rum pum pum pum
I am also a poor boy who can't offer much to the king
I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum
I don't have anything appropriate to offer the king
That's fit to give our King pa- rum pum pum pum
None of my belongings are worthy enough to be presented to the king
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
The drum still beats in the background
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum
If I don't have any valuable things to give, I can at least play my drum for the king
on my drum?
May I play my drum to entertain the king?
Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
Mary gave me permission to play the drum for the newborn king
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
The animals nearby kept a beat with the rhythm of my drumming
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my drum in front of the newborn king
I played my best for Him pa -rum pum pum pum
I gave the best performance of my drumming skills to entertain the king
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
The drum still beats in the background
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
The newborn king acknowledged and smiled at me for my drumming performance
Me and my drum
I will take my drum and the memory of my performance with me as I leave from visiting the king
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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