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 Montgomery Bernard "Monty" Alexander (born 6 June 1944) is a Jamaican jazz pianist. His playing has a Caribbean influence and bright swinging feeling, with a strong vocabulary of bebop jazz and blues rooted melodies. He was influenced by Louis ...

, bandleader

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

, and singer Rosemary Clooney, and has worked extensively with singer

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard'' maga ...

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 Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

and then began drumming at the age of eight. At fifteen, he was invited to play with the

Earlham College Earlham College is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quaker values such as integrity, a commitment to peace and social ...

jazz ensemble. He later attended

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

while studying under the tutelage of John Von Ohlen.

Music career

Starting in 1975, he was a member of

's Trio, then

'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 Jeff Clayton (February 16, 1954 – December 16, 2020) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and flautist. Clayton studied oboe at California State University before dropping out to undertake a tour with Stevie Wonder. Following this he reco ...

and

John Clayton John Clayton may refer to: Arts and entertainment Writing *John Clayton (architect) (died 1861), English architect and writer *John Bell Clayton and Martha Clayton, John Bell Clayton (c. 1907–1955), American writer *John Clayton (sportswriter) ( ...

. He also leads his own trio, with Jon Hamar on bass and Tamir Hendelman on piano. Hamilton has worked with

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

, Rosemary Clooney, the

Count Basie Orchestra The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 195 ...

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards ...

, and Ray Brown. He toured with

and has played on several of her albums. In Japan with Krall in 2002, Hamilton became a fan of

Hammond B3 Hammond may refer to: People * Hammond Innes (1913–1998), English novelist * Hammond (surname) * Justice Hammond (disambiguation) Places Antarctica * Hammond Glacier, Antarctica Australia * Hammond, South Australia, a small settlement in S ...

organist

Atsuko Hashimoto Atsuko Hashimoto (橋本有津子, はしもとあつこ), is a jazz musician from Osaka, Japan, who plays Hammond B-3 electronic organ and has performed in Japan and the United States. To date, she has recorded five albums of organ trio and orga ...

, and he recorded two albums with her.Eastwind Import. ''Full Organ''

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 Mapex Drums (Music And Percussion EXcellence) is a Taiwanese brand of musical instruments established by KHS Musical Instruments in 1989. Instruments manufactured with the "Mapex" name include drum kits and hardware. Products Mapex produces s ...

Black Panther drums and Remo drum heads (Fiberskyn 3 Diplomat) and his signature

Regal Tip Regal Tip is one of the world's largest manufacturers of drum sticks and other percussion mallets. They produce a range of beaters, but are particularly noted as a manufacturer of premium steel brush (music), brushes and nylon tipped drumsticks. ...

sticks and brushes.

Discography

As leader

* ''Indiana'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...

, 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

* 1977 ''Live in Holland'' * 1979 ''Facets'' * 1983 ''Reunion in Europe'' * 1986 ''Li'l Darlin' '' With

Ernestine Anderson Ernestine Anderson (November 11, 1928 – March 10, 2016) was an American jazz and blues singer. In a career spanning more than six decades, she recorded over 30 albums. She was nominated four times for a Grammy Award. She sang at Carnegie Hall, ...

* 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 ''Don't Get Sassy'' is an album by the American bassist Ray Brown, released in 1994. It is credited to the Ray Brown Trio. Production The album was recorded live in the studio, in April 1994. Benny Green played piano and Jeff Hamilton played dr ...

'' With

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

* 2005 '' It's Time'' * 2007 '' Call Me Irresponsible'' With

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

* 1994 '' Elegy in Blue'' (MusicMasters) With Rosemary Clooney * 1979 '' Rosemary Clooney Sings the Lyrics of Ira Gershwin'' * 1989 ''

Show Tunes A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context. T ...

'' * 1994 '' Still on the Road'' * 2000 ''

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

'' With

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

* 1991 '' Unforgettable... with Love'' * 1993 '' Take a Look'' * 1994 '' Holly & Ivy'' With Scott Hamilton * 1979 ''Tenorshoes'' * 1991 ''Race Point'' * 2015 ''Live in Bern'' With

*2008 ''Introducing Atsuko Hashimoto'' *2011 ''Until the Sun Comes Up'' With

Gene Harris Gene Harris (born Eugene Haire, September 1, 1933 – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz. From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds tri ...

* 1988 ''Tribute to Count Basie'' * 1989 ''Listen Here!'' * 1989 ''Live at Town Hall, N.Y.C.'' With

* 1993 '' Stepping Out'' * 1999 ''

When I Look in Your Eyes ''When I Look in Your Eyes'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on June 8, 1999, by Verve Records. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, the first time in 25 years that a jazz album was nominate ...

'' * 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 Laurindo Almeida (September 2, 1917 – July 26, 1995) was a Brazilian guitarist and composer in classical, jazz, and Latin music. He and Bud Shank were pioneers in the creation of bossa nova. Almeida was the first guitarist to receive Gra ...

* 1987 ''Spontaneous Combustion'', Barney Kessel * 1988 ''Perfect Match'',

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 ...

* 1988 ''Reunion'', Mel Tormé * 1992 ''Full Circle'', Jackie and Roy * 1992 ''In Tribute'',

Diane Schuur Diane Joan Schuur (born December 10, 1953), nicknamed "Deedles", is an American jazz singer and pianist. As of 2015, Schuur had released 23 albums, and had extended her jazz repertoire to include essences of Latin, gospel, pop and country music ...

* 1992 ''Midnight Sun'',

Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the ...

* 1993 '' Back to Broadway'',

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

* 1994 ''

Timepiece A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and the ...

'',

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted m ...

* 1996 '' Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album'', Dee Dee Bridgewater * 1998 '' Manilow Sings Sinatra'', Barry Manilow * 1998 ''

These Are Special Times ''These Are Special Times'' is the seventeenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, and her first English-language Christmas album. It was first released in Europe on 30 October 1998, by Columbia Records. In the United States, it ...

'',

Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

* 2004 ''Reneé Olstead'', Renee Olstead * 2006 ''Dear Mr. Sinatra'',

John Pizzarelli John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960, in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist. He has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCa ...

* 2008 ''Blues & Beyond'', WDR Big Band * 2012 ''It's a Wonderful World'', Stacey Kent * 2012 '' Kisses on the Bottom'',

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

* 2013 ''Wilford Brimley With the Jeff Hamilton Trio'',

Wilford Brimley Anthony Wilford Brimley (September 27, 1934 – August 1, 2020) was an American actor. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and working odd jobs in the 1950s, Brimley started working as an extra and stuntman in Western films in the l ...

* 2014 '' Life Journey'', Leon Russell

References

External links

Official web siteJeff Hamilton Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2018) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Jeff 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