Jeff Hamilton (drummer)

Jeff Hamilton (drummer)
Jeff Hamilton (born August 4, 1953) is an American jazz drummer and co-leader of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. A former member of the L.A. Four, Hamilton has played with jazz pianist Monty Alexander, bandleader Woody Herman, and singer Rosemary Clooney, and has worked extensively with singer Diana Krall.
Early life
Hamilton was born in Richmond, Indiana, United States,. From a young age he took piano lessons but was inspired at age five by Gene Krupa and then began drumming at the age of eight. At fifteen, he was invited to play with the Earlham College jazz ensemble. He later attended Indiana University while studying under the tutelage of John Von Ohlen.
Music career
Starting in 1975, he was a member of Monty Alexander's Trio, then Woody Herman's Orchestra from 1977 until 1978. He was a member of the L.A. Four, with whom he made six albums. He co-leads the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra with Jeff Clayton and John Clayton. He also leads his own trio, with Jon Hamar on bass and Tamir Hendelman on piano.
Hamilton has worked with Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, the Count Basie Orchestra, Oscar Peterson, and Ray Brown. He toured with Diana Krall and has played on several of her albums. In Japan with Krall in 2002, Hamilton became a fan of Hammond B3 organist Atsuko Hashimoto, and he recorded two albums with her.
Equipment
Hamilton was co-owner of Bosphorus Cymbals. He then started his own cymbal company, Crescent Cymbals, with Michael Vosbein, Bill Norman, and drummer Stanton Moore. Sabian bought out Crescent Cymbals and will be redistributing them through their "Hand-Hammered series." He also plays Mapex Black Panther drums and Remo drum heads (Fiberskyn 3 Diplomat) and his signature Regal Tip sticks and brushes.
Discography
As leader
Indiana (Concord Jazz, 1992)
It's Hamilton Time (Lake Street, 1994)
Live! (Mons, 1996)
Dynavibes (Mons, 1997)
Hamilton House: Live at Steamers (Mons, 2000)
Hands On (Mons, 2002)
The Best Things Happen (Azica, 2004)
From Studio 4, Cologne, Germany (Azica, 2006)
Symbiosis (Capri, 2009)
Red Sparkle (Capri, 2012)
Time Passes On (Jazzed Media, 2012)
The L.A. Session (In + Out, 2013)
Live From San Pedro (Capri, 2018)
Equal Time with Akiko Tsuruga, Graham Dechter (Capri, 2019)
Catch Me If You Can (Capri, 2020)
Merry & Bright (Capri, 2021)
With the L.A. 4
1978 Just Friends
1978 Watch What Happens
1979 Live at Montreux
1980 Zaca
1981 Montage
1982 Executive Suite
As sideman
With Monty Alexander
1977 Live in Holland
1979 Facets
1983 Reunion in Europe
1986 Li'l Darlin'
With Ernestine Anderson
1979 Sunshine
1983 Big City
1989 Boogie Down
With Ray Brown
1979 Live at the Concord Jazz Festival
1988 Bam Bam Bam
1988 Summer Wind: Live at the Loa
1989 Black Orpheus
1991 Georgia on My Mind
1991 Three Dimensional
1993 Bassface Live at Kuumbwa
1994 Don't Get Sassy
With Michael Bublé
2005 It's Time
2007 Call Me Irresponsible
With Benny Carter
1994 Elegy in Blue (MusicMasters)
With Rosemary Clooney
1979 Rosemary Clooney Sings the Lyrics of Ira Gershwin
1989 Show Tunes
1994 Still on the Road
2000 Brazil
With Natalie Cole
1991 Unforgettable... with Love
1993 Take a Look
1994 Holly & Ivy
With Scott Hamilton
1979 Tenorshoes
1991 Race Point
2015 Live in Bern
With Atsuko Hashimoto
2008 Introducing Atsuko Hashimoto
2011 Until the Sun Comes Up
With Gene Harris
1988 Tribute to Count Basie
1989 Listen Here!
1989 Live at Town Hall, N.Y.C.
With Diana Krall
1993 Stepping Out
1999 When I Look in Your Eyes
2001 The Look of Love
2002 Live in Paris
2006 From This Moment On
2009 Quiet Nights
2017 Turn Up the Quiet
2020 This Dream of You
With Cory Weeds
2015 This Happy Madness
2017 Dreamsville
With others
1977 Soul Fusion, Milt Jackson
1979 Conception, Ted Nash
1981 East of Suez, Jackie and Roy
1982 Latin Odyssey, Laurindo Almeida
1987 Spontaneous Combustion, Barney Kessel
1988 Perfect Match, George Shearing
1988 Reunion, Mel Tormé
1992 Full Circle, Jackie and Roy
1992 In Tribute, Diane Schuur
1992 Midnight Sun, Herb Alpert
1993 Back to Broadway, Barbra Streisand
1994 Timepiece, Kenny Rogers
1996 Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album, Dee Dee Bridgewater
1998 Manilow Sings Sinatra, Barry Manilow
1998 These Are Special Times, Céline Dion
2004 Reneé Olstead, Renee Olstead
2006 Dear Mr. Sinatra, John Pizzarelli
2008 Blues & Beyond, WDR Big Band
2012 It's a Wonderful World, Stacey Kent
2012 Kisses on the Bottom, Paul McCartney
2013 Wilford Brimley With the Jeff Hamilton Trio, Wilford Brimley
2014 Life Journey, Leon Russell
References
External links
Official web site
Jeff Hamilton Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2018)
American jazz drummers
Big band bandleaders
Living people
Musicians from Richmond, Indiana
Musicians from Indiana
1953 births
20th-century American drummers
American male drummers
20th-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra members
The L.A. Four (band) members