Scott Hamilton is a jazz tenor saxophonist associated with swing (music) an… Read Full Bio ↴Scott Hamilton is a jazz tenor saxophonist associated with swing (music) and mainstream jazz.

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.

Shadow of Your Smile {Love Theme from The Sandpiper}
Scott Hamilton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The shadow of your smile
When you have gone
Will color all my dreams
And light the dawn

Look into my eyes my love and see
All the lovely things you are to me

Our wistful little star
It was far, too high
A teardrop kissed your lips
And so did I

Now when I remember spring
All the joys that love can bring

I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile

Overall Meaning

"The Shadow of Your Smile" tells the story of a love that once existed and now remains only as a memory. The first stanza speaks of how the memory of this love will color all of the dreams of the singer after his or her lover has gone. The sunrise will be lit by the remaining warmth of the love that has since passed. In the second stanza, the singer looks into the eyes of his or her love with longing and sees all of the wonderful things that the love has brought them. However, the love could not withstand the distance that existed between them, represented by the "wistful little star" that was too far away. A teardrop falls from the singer's lover's lips, and the singer kisses them goodbye for the last time.

In the final stanza, the singer recalls the joys of their love in the past and how they will be remembered through the "shadow of [their] smile". The memory of their love will have a lasting effect on the singer and will always be a part of their life. The melancholic tone of the lyrics is underscored by the slow, wistful melody that encourages reflection and contemplation.

Line by Line Meaning

The shadow of your smile
The memory of my love's smile

When you have gone
When my love has left

Will color all my dreams
Will impact my dreams emotionally

And light the dawn
And brighten the new day

Look into my eyes my love and see
Gaze into my eyes and recognize

All the lovely things you are to me
All the wonderful qualities you have through my perspective

Our wistful little star
Our melancholic star

It was far, too high
It was distant, unattainable

A teardrop kissed your lips
A tear touched your lips

And so did I
Just like a tear, I kissed your lips

Now when I remember spring
When I recall the past Spring season

All the joys that love can bring
All the happiness that love can create

I will be remembering
I will recall

The shadow of your smile
The memory of your captivating smile

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Johnny Mandel, Paul Webster

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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