We started December 2019 with Jeff Hamilton-week on Drummerszone. With six videos from the Drummerszone-Vault with the legendary Jazz drummer's Remo Sandlane Sessions. While these took place in 2013, the moments are as unique as Jeff Hamilton himself. And that is why we launched them here again. In six days, we've published six unique videos with Hammertone-lessons of his complete Remo Sandlane Sessions studio recordings.
The Jeff Hamilton-week video program The videos were published in a six-day sequence including the recordings of three songs and three of Jeff Hamilton's lessons and great anecdotes during the evening with his Trio. All songs were recorded at the Sandlane Recording Facilities in The Netherlands live before a select audience.
1. Creating a Mirage Mel Lewis once told Jeff that all that drummers do is 'creating a mirage'. In the video below he explains this statement with some very clear examples on the drums.
2. Live Recording: Time Passes On with personal intro and brushes solo With a personal intro from Jeff, this is perhaps the utmost specialty of this session. Written for his drum teacher, Time Passes On is not only a beautiful and tiny ballad, the warm brushes solo he plays here on snare and cymbals gave yours truly literally goose bumps all the way up to his neck. There is a world of difference to hear and watch him playing it on raw acoustic drums and cymbals before they are being mixed. Gladly, the beauty and finesse happening here, are still right in your face.
Time Passes On is the third track on the album 'Live!' that the Trio released in 2007. Click the album on the right to listen to the original recording.
3. How to play relaxed Jeff explains that having a 'relaxed state of mind' is how you can identify yourself as a drummer, and why it is so important.
"You have to be able to sing your right beat naturally.
You can identify all the great jazz players from their cymbal beat.
What is yours?
Mine is: 'one motion, and three bounces.'"
- Jeff Hamilton
4. Live Recording of Spit Season Blues Spit Season Blues is the last track on 'Hands On,' the Trio's 2007 album. Click the album on the right to listen to the original recording.
Bassist Christoph Luty gets to play the first solo of the evening here. Since these are re-edits, the focus is mainly on the drummer. A great opportunity to see how a legend like Jeff focuses on the story told and completely diminishes himself to the bass lines played by changing to brushes.
The fun part here: watch how no single beat is lost when Jeff loses a stick after the bass solo. Professionality on the highest level and a specialty to watch.
5. About having nerves & make it sound like a million bucks Jeff explains how you can sound like a million bucks on the drums. He offers a remedy to having nerves that make you choke on the instrument. And he explains why having them is a selfish act on itself. This talk might free you from a lot of hassle on your own playing. Or even better: what you can do to improve it.
Worth watching because of the funny anecdote that includes Philly Joe Jones and Bobby Durham!
6. Live Recording: 2nd Street Samba + drum solo This video shows where Jeff really takes off on the drums during an incredible solo. Around 4:00 the prelude to the drum solo starts, and you just have to watch this. You can actually see Jeff playing the drums with his hands here.
2nd Street Samba is the last track on the album 'From Studio 4, Cologne, Germany' from 2004. Click the album on the right to listen to the original recording.
Jeff Hamilton plays Remo drums & drumheads While Jeff uses the Remo drums mentioned below on these recordings, since November 2018 he is a Mapex artist, and plays the Black Panther Design Lab Cherry Bomb drum kit to be precise.
5 1/2"x14" Snare drum (top head Fyberskyn Diplomat 3 with a band-aid for muffling near edge; bottom head Clear Ambassador)
14"x14" Floor tom with legs (top head: Fyberskyn Diplomat 3; bottom head: Clear Ambassador)
16"x18" Bass drum (Fyberskyn Diplomat 3 on both heads, not powerstroke). Muffling is a 10"x3" piece of thin felt taped to batter head 4" from the bottom.
For larger ensembles or organ groups, Jeff uses a 16"x20" bass drum with same heads and muffling.
Jeff has his signature sticks and brushes with Regal Tip and he is part owner of Crescent Cymbals. In the videos he is playing his Hammertone Series.
The Jeff Hamilton Trio The Jeff Hamilton Trio has recorded several albums from 2004 until now. They are listed on the right, including the collaborations the Trio is featured on.
Jeff Hamilton With decades of experience, Jeff is one of the most sought after drummers in the scene and for many years now Dian Krall's sticksman. He has played and recorded with artists like Michael Buble, Paul McCartney, Monty Alexander, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Willie Nelson, Natalie Cole, Queen Latifah, Dr. John, James Morrison, Ray Brown, Nina Simone, Milt Jackson and many, many others. In 1985, together with bass player John Clayton and saxophonist Jeff Clayton, he formed the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
In his overpacked schedule he finds the time to go record and go on tour with his Jeff Hamilton Trio, with Tamir Hendelman on piano and Christoph Luty on bass.
Tamir Hendelman Award-winning jazz pianist Tamir Hendelman has performed with the Jeff Hamilton Trio, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Harry Allen, Teddy Edwards, Warren Vache, Houston Person, Jeff Clayton, Nick Brignola, Phil Upchurch, Rickey Woodard, John Clayton and Barbara Morrison. He also leads his own trio and his debut CD 'Playground' features him in this trio setting.
Beginning his keyboard studies at age 6 in Tel Aviv, Tamir moved to the US at age 12 in 1984, winning Yamaha's national keyboard competition 2 years later at age 14. Concerts in Japan and the Kennedy Center followed.
Tamir then studied at the Tanglewood Institute in 1988 and received a Bachelor of Music Composition degree from Eastman School of Music in 1993. He then became the youngest musical director for Lovewell Institute, a national arts education non-profit organization.
Since returning to LA in 1996, Tamir has been in steady demand as pianist and arranger, touring the US, Europe and Asia, and receiving awards from ASCAP and National Foundation For Advancement in the Arts. In 1999 Tamir was a guest soloist with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.
Tamir joined the Jeff Hamilton Trio in 2000, contributing arrangements, recording and touring Japan, Europe and the US. In 2001 he became a member of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, with whom he premiered John Clayton's new orchestration of Oscar Peterson's Canadiana Suite in the Hollywood Bowl in 2001.
Christoph Luty Bassist Christoph Luty is known for his big, natural sound, melodic bass lines and solos, and articulate arco playing. He came to Los Angeles from Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1990 to pursue his dream of studying and playing with the greats. He studied bass with his mentor John Clayton--who has said "Christoph's playing exemplifies...swinging bass lines, lyrical solos, and a great, natural sound that is huge and full"--and also earned his Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California. His playing has received many accolades. All About Jazz noted that "bassist Christoph Luty has a fat sound and an unerring sense of melody."
With the Jeff Hamilton Trio "Luty 'sang' with a rich sound recalling the sonorous lower register of jazz bass great Ray Brown," as reviewed in The Capital-Journal. Reviewing Christoph's CD 'It's Good To Be Seen,' Jazz Player Magazine noted that "Christoph Luty's arco bass playing ability is remarkable...exceptionally in tune with a centered tone."
