A swinging tenor saxophonist with a warm tone and supple feel,
Scott Hamilton first emerged in the '70s playing a style that hearkened back to the pre-bebop sound of artists like
Ben Webster and
Zoot Sims. It was a style that helped
Hamilton stand out from his contemporaries, especially during the electrified era of fusion jazz. Signed to Concord, he issued a string of celebrated albums for the label, like 1977's Swinging Young Scott, 1979's
Tenorshoes, and 1986's The Right Time, all of which showcased his knack for acoustic jazz, blues, and standards. He gained respect from both contemporary players and veterans, famously touring as a member of legendary clarinetist and bandleader
Benny Goodman's small group. Along with contemporaries like cornetist
Warren Vache, saxophonist
Harry Allen, and saxophonist
Scott Robinson, he has continued to keep older jazz traditions alive, playing with swing veterans like guitarist
Bucky Pizzarelli, as he did on 1998's
Red Door: Remember Zoot Sims, and issuing elegant sessions from his adopted home of Italy, like 2019's Danish Ballads & More.
Born in 1954 in Providence, Rhode Island,
Hamilton first became interested in jazz while listening to his father's record collection. Initially starting out on drums at age five, he also played piano, harmonica, and clarinet before settling on tenor saxophone at around age 16. Influenced by players like
Johnny Hodges,
Ben Webster,
Coleman Hawkins, and
Zoot Sims, he progressed quickly and by the time he graduated high school, was already playing gigs and sitting in at clubs. It was during these early years that he met and sat in with legendary swing trumpeter
Roy Eldridge at a club in Boston.
Eldridge encouraged the up-and-coming saxophonist to move to New York, which
Hamilton did in 1976 at the age of 22. There, he picked up a six-week stint playing at Michael's Pub, and was able to meet and work with other veteran jazz luminaries like
Hank Jones,
Vic Dickenson,
Anita O'Day, and
Illinois Jacquet, among others.
In 1977, he made his recorded debut for Concord with Scott Hamilton Is a Good Wind Who Is Blowing Us No Ill, featuring trumpeter Bill Berry, pianist
Nat Pierce, bassist
Monty Budwig, and drummer
Jake Hanna. More albums followed on the label, including Scott II, Scott Hamilton and Warren Vache (With Scott's Band in New York), and 1979's
Tenorshoes. Also during this period, he joined
Benny Goodman's small group, playing with the legendary bandleader as well as
Vache, guitarist
Chris Flory, and others throughout the late '70s and early '80s.
Hamilton kept the traditional jazz torch burning through the '80s, issuing albums like 1982's Close Up, 1985's First Up with cornetist
Ruby Braff, and 1986's Major League with
Jake Hanna and
Dave McKenna. There were also dates with
Flip Phillips,
Benny Carter, and the Concord All-Stars. In 1986, he earned a Grammy nomination for his contribution to
Gerry Mulligan's album Soft Lights & Sweet Music.
In the '90s,
Hamilton moved to England, settling in London and forming a quartet with pianist
John Pearce, bassist
Dave Green, and drummer Steve Brown. Nonetheless, he remained connected to Concord, releasing albums like 1993's
East of the Sun, 1995's My Romance, and 1997's
After Hours. He also paired for albums with guitarist
Bucky Pizzarelli, guitarist
Jimmy Bruno, and vocalist
Rosemary Clooney.
Jazz Signatures arrived in 2001 and featured songs by some of
Hamilton's favorite artists like
Illinois Jacquet,
Benny Carter, and
Don Byas. He paired with fellow saxophonist
Harry Allen for 2004's
Heavy Juice and joined pianist
Bill Charlap, bassist
Peter Washington, and drummer
Kenny Washington for 2005's
Back in New York.
Sometime in the late 2000s,
Hamilton moved to the Tuscany region of Italy where he remained active touring. He also rounded out his long association with Concord by releasing 2006's
Nocturnes & Serenades and 2008's
Across the Tracks. Following his move to Italy,
Hamilton issued a string of albums on smaller labels including 2010's
Midnight at NOLA's Penthouse with pianist
Rossano Sportiello, 2011's A Splendid Trio with guitarist
Howard Alden, and 2012's
'Round Midnight with saxophonist
Harry Allen. He also recorded projects with
Jan Lundgren,
Karin Krog, and
Andrea Pozza. He collaborated with pianist/vocalist
Champian Fulton for 2017's Things We Did Last Summer, and returned the following year with the quartet date Moon Mist, featuring pianist
Dena DeRose, bassist Ignasi Gonzalez, and drummer
Jo Krause. Another quartet date, Danish Ballads & More, arrived in 2019. ~ Matt Collar