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The word jazz and the term "mass appeal" are seldom used in the same sentence. Occasionally, a well-marketed jazz artist will connect with popular culture -- singer Diana Krall, for example -- but label execs usually assume that jazz won't sell as well as rock, R&B, rap, country, adult contemporary, or Latin music. However, there was a time when jazz did, in fact, enjoy mass appeal. It was called the swing era, and Lionel Hampton was among the many swing stars who connected with popular culture even though he wasn't a pop artist. Assembled by Bluebird/RCA in 2002, this collection spans 1937-1940 and takes listeners back to a time when Hampton reached the pop market by playing warm, soulful, infectious, hard-swinging jazz. The disc is full of five-star gems from the vibist's early period, including "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Memories of You," and Hampton's signature song "Flying Home." And the list of sidemen reads like a who's who of swing -- people like Ziggy Ellman, Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, and Nat King Cole. So why doesn't Ring Dem Bells merit a higher rating? For one thing, it isn't terribly generous by CD standards. The disc clocks in at around 49 minutes, and RCA could have easily provided another 30 minutes' worth of material. But the main problem is the sound quality; these recordings sound a lot scratchier and noisier on Ring Dem Bells than they do on other Hampton CDs that RCA has put out. This time, Bluebird/RCA's digital remastering leaves much to be desired. The haunting "Shades of Jade," for example, sounds a lot cleaner on Tempo and Swing (a 1992 release) than it does here. This carelessly assembled reissue simply doesn't do justice to an artist of Hampton's magnitude.
© Alex Henderson /TiVo
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Ziggy Elman, Trumpet - Allan Reuss, Guitar - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Lionel Hampton, Drums - Lionel Hampton, Composer - George Koenig, Alto Saxophone - Arthur Rollini, Tenor Saxophone - Harry Goodman, Bass - Jess Stacy, Piano - Hymie Schertzer, Alto Saxophone - Vido Musso, Tenor Saxophone - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Allan Reuss, Guitar - Dorothy Fields, Lyricist - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Cozy Cole, Drums - Lionel Hampton, Vocal - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Buster Bailey, Clarinet - Jess Stacy, Piano - John Kirby, Bass - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Johnny Hodges, Alto Saxophone - Jimmy McHugh, Composer
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Allan Reuss, Guitar - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Cozy Cole, Drums - Mezz Mezzrow, Clarinet - Lionel Hampton, Composer - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Jess Stacy, Piano - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Lawrence Brown, Trombone - John Kirby, Bass - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Johnny Hodges, Alto Saxophone
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Allan Reuss, Guitar - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Cozy Cole, Drums - Lionel Hampton, Piano - Buster Bailey, Clarinet - William Jerome, Composer - John Kirby, Bass - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Jean Schwartz, Composer
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Cozy Cole, Drums - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Lionel Hampton, Vocal - Ellis Reynolds, Composer - Ellis Reynolds, Lyricist - Al J. Neiburg, Composer - Al J. Neiburg, Lyricist - Doc Daugherty, Composer - Doc Daugherty, Lyricist - Eddie Barefield, Clarinet - Clyde Hart, Piano - Bobby Bennett, Guitar - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Mack Walker, Bass - Jonah Jones, Trumpet
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Cozy Cole, Drums - Lionel Hampton, Piano - Ford Dabney, Composer - Eddie Barefield, Clarinet - Lew Brown, Composer - Bobby Bennett, Guitar - Cecil Mack, Composer - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Mack Walker, Bass - Jonah Jones, Trumpet
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Ziggy Elman, Trumpet - Allan Reuss, Guitar - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Cozy Cole, Drums - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Arthur Rollini, Tenor Saxophone - Jess Stacy, Piano - Turner Layton, Composer - Vido Musso, Clarinet - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Henry Creamer, Composer - Johnny Miller, Bass
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Sonny Greer, Drums - Allan Reuss, Guitar - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Billy Taylor, Bass - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Lionel Hampton, Vocal - Edgar Sampson, Baritone Saxophone - Jess Stacy, Piano - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Johnny Hodges, Alto Saxophone - Duke Ellington, Composer
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Sonny Greer, Drums - Allan Reuss, Guitar - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Billy Taylor, Bass - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Edgar Sampson, Composer - Edgar Sampson, Baritone Saxophone - Jess Stacy, Piano - Benny Goodman, Composer - Cootie Williams, Trumpet - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Johnny Hodges, Alto Saxophone - Mitchell Parish, Composer
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Dave Matthews, Alto Saxophone - Jo Jones, Drums - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Herschel Evans, Tenor Saxophone - John Kirby, Bass - Babe Russin, Tenor Saxophone - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Billy Kyle, Piano - Benny Carter, Alto Saxophone - Harry James, Trumpet - Jelly Roll Morton, Composer
Originally Recorded 1938. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Sonny Greer, Drums - Harry Carney, Baritone Saxophone - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Billy Taylor, Bass - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Clyde Hart, Piano - Rex Stewart, Trumpet - Lawrence Brown, Trombone - Eubie Blake, Composer - Andy Razaf, Composer - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally released 1939. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Chu Berry, Tenor Saxophone - Cozy Cole, Drums - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Milt Hinton, Bass - Coleman Hawkins, Tenor Saxophone - Clyde Hart, Piano - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Dizzy Gillespie, Trumpet - Spencer Williams, Composer - Ben Webster, Tenor Saxophone - Charlie Christian, Guitar - Benny Carter, Composer - Benny Carter, Alto Saxophone
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Ziggy Elman, Trumpet - Al Casey, Guitar - Jack Palmer, Composer - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Clyde Hart, Piano - Slick Jones, Drums - Artie Bernstein, Bass - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Clarence Williams, Composer - Ben Webster, Tenor Saxophone - Jerry Jerome, Tenor Saxophone - Toots Mondello, Alto Saxophone
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Ziggy Elman, Trumpet - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Nick Fatool, Drums - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Ernest Ashley, Guitar - Spencer Odom, Piano - Budd Johnson, Tenor Saxophone - Buff Estes, Alto Saxophone - Artie Bernstein, Bass - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Jerry Jerome, Tenor Saxophone - Toots Mondello, Composer - Toots Mondello, Alto Saxophone
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Oscar Moore, Guitar - Lionel Hampton, Composer - Lionel Hampton, Drums - Al Spiedlock, Drums - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Nat "King" Cole, Piano - Wesley Prince, Bass
(P) Recorded Prior to 1972. All Rights Reserved by BMG Music
Sid Robin, Composer - Ziggy Elman, Trumpet - Carlos Kase, Re-Issue Producer - Nick Fatool, Drums - Lionel Hampton, Vibraphone - Lionel Hampton, Composer - Ernest Ashley, Guitar - Spencer Odom, Piano - Budd Johnson, Tenor Saxophone - Buff Estes, Alto Saxophone - Benny Goodman, Composer - Artie Bernstein, Bass - Andreas K. Meyer, Re-Mastering Engineer - Jerry Jerome, Tenor Saxophone - Toots Mondello, Alto Saxophone
Originally Recorded 1940. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Album review
The word jazz and the term "mass appeal" are seldom used in the same sentence. Occasionally, a well-marketed jazz artist will connect with popular culture -- singer Diana Krall, for example -- but label execs usually assume that jazz won't sell as well as rock, R&B, rap, country, adult contemporary, or Latin music. However, there was a time when jazz did, in fact, enjoy mass appeal. It was called the swing era, and Lionel Hampton was among the many swing stars who connected with popular culture even though he wasn't a pop artist. Assembled by Bluebird/RCA in 2002, this collection spans 1937-1940 and takes listeners back to a time when Hampton reached the pop market by playing warm, soulful, infectious, hard-swinging jazz. The disc is full of five-star gems from the vibist's early period, including "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Memories of You," and Hampton's signature song "Flying Home." And the list of sidemen reads like a who's who of swing -- people like Ziggy Ellman, Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, and Nat King Cole. So why doesn't Ring Dem Bells merit a higher rating? For one thing, it isn't terribly generous by CD standards. The disc clocks in at around 49 minutes, and RCA could have easily provided another 30 minutes' worth of material. But the main problem is the sound quality; these recordings sound a lot scratchier and noisier on Ring Dem Bells than they do on other Hampton CDs that RCA has put out. This time, Bluebird/RCA's digital remastering leaves much to be desired. The haunting "Shades of Jade," for example, sounds a lot cleaner on Tempo and Swing (a 1992 release) than it does here. This carelessly assembled reissue simply doesn't do justice to an artist of Hampton's magnitude.
© Alex Henderson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
- Total length: 00:48:46
- Main artists: Lionel Hampton
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: RCA Bluebird
- Genre: Jazz
(P) 2002 BMG
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