Swing Low Sweet Clarinet (Remastered) Jimmy Hamilton And His Orchestra

• 1 I've Got the World on a String 03:24
• 2 Do Nothing 'Til You Hear from Me 02:46
• 3 Tempo de Brazilia 02:15
• 4 The Nearness of You 04:20
• 5 Blue Room 05:07
• 6 Ain't She Sweet 02:29
• 7 I Didn't Know About You 02:53
• 8 Taj Mahal 03:37
• 9 In a Sentimental Mood 05:12
• 10 After You've Gone 03:20
• Total Runtime 35:23

Info for Swing Low Sweet Clarinet (Remastered)

"Duke Ellington recognized Jimmy Hamilton as both a talented clarinetist and composer and featured him extensively during his quarter century in the band. Swing Low Sweet Clarinet, a 1960 session for Everest, features the clarinetist leading a small group drawn primarily from Ellington's band, including tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves, Booty Wood and Britt Woodman (heard on baritone horns instead of their usual trombones), bassist Aaron Bell, and drummer Sam Woodyard, while adding non-Ellington musicians Jimmy Rowles on piano, Dave Wells on baritone horn, and John Anderson on trumpet. It's not surprising that Hamilton draws from Ellington's vast repertoire, covering "Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me," "In a Sentimental Mood," and the lesser-known ballad "I Didn't Know About You" but with fresh approaches, especially with his use of the three baritone horns to add warm backgrounds. Hamilton's off-center approach to the old chestnut "Ain't She Sweet" is anything but ordinary. His originals include the exotic "Tempo de Brazilia" and "Taj Mahal." The primary focus is on the leader in these brief arrangements, who delivers consistent lyrical and swinging solos, though there is plenty of solo space for Gonsalves, who obviously knows how to complement his longtime section mate in the Ellington orchestra. Long out of print!" (Ken Dryden, AMG)

Jimmy Hamilton, clarinet
John Anderson, trumpet
Paul Gonsalves, tenor saxophone
Mitchell Wood, baritone horns
Britt Woodman, baritone horns
Dave Wells, baritone horns
Jimmy Rowles, piano
Aaron Bell, bass
Sam Woodyard, drums

Digitally remastered

Jimmy Hamilton
(May 25, 1917 – September 20, 1994) was an American jazz clarinetist, tenor saxophonist, arranger, composer, and music educator, best known for his twenty-five years with Duke Ellington.

Hamilton was born in Dillon, South Carolina, and grew up in Philadelphia. Having originally learned to play piano and brass instruments, in the 1930s he started playing the latter in local bands, before switching to clarinet and saxophone. In 1939 he played with Lucky Millinder, Jimmy Mundy, and Bill Doggett, going on to join the Teddy Wilson sextet in 1940. After two years with Wilson, he played with Eddie Heywood and Yank Porter.

In 1943, he replaced Barney Bigard in the Duke Ellington orchestra, and stayed with Ellington until 1968. His style was very different on his two instruments: on tenor saxophone he had an R&B sound, while on clarinet he was much more precise and technical. He wrote some of his own material in his time with Ellington.

After he left the Ellington orchestra, Hamilton played and arranged on a freelance basis, before spending the 1970s and 1980s in the Virgin Islands teaching music. On his retirement from teaching he continued to perform with his own groups in 1989 and 1990. Hamilton died September 20, 1994 in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, at the age of 77.

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