Chico Hamilton

[Teasing the Korean]

Coltrane, anybody?

"Indian music" was in the air in the early 60s, no?

Of course.

But I'm talking specifically about Chico's drum patterns combined with Gabor's guitar, which were a little closer to "rock" than what Coltrane was doing, and which certainly at times sound like a precursor to, among others, the Yardbirds.

I see a definite thread, but I've never read anything that addressed this specifically.

The following five albums were recorded between 1962 (maybe 1961) and September 1965, predating "Norwegian Wood," "Eight Miles High," "Paint it, Black" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago."

The only early "eastern" rock tunes that may have overlapped with only the last album listed below were "Still I'm Sad" and "See My Friends:"

1962 A Different Journey (Reprise)

1962 Passin' Thru (Impulse! Records)

1963 Man From Two Worlds (Impulse!)

1965 Chic Chic Chico (Impulse!)

1966 El Chico (Impulse!)

Edited March 9, 2010 by Teasing the Korean

[Chuck Nessa]

Trouble is, you are basing this all on records. Music happens elsewhere first.

[kh1958]

Steve Potts made an album with Chico for Solid State in the late 1960s

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Potts? I thought his first recorded appearances were with Alan Silva and Francois Tusques in Paris c. 1970.

←

I would refer you to Hamilton's 1968 LP, Solid State SS 18043 - The Gamut, which features "Stephen Potts" on alto, along with Jan Arnett (of Booker Ervin "fame") on bass. Not in anyway reflective of Potts' work of years to come, but there he is!

Steve Potts is on another Chico Hamilton LP on Solid State, The Head Hunter, with Ray Nance (!) and Eric Gales on guitar (I think, it's Eric Gayle on the recording), a fine record indeed.

[Teasing the Korean]

Trouble is, you are basing this all on records. Music happens elsewhere first.

Trouble is, there is lots of hyperbole but little hard evidence for what happens in concert or rehearsal settings, to say nothing of who was in the audience. Recording and release dates at least establish some basic chronological benchmarks.

That said, your argument serves to reinforce my point. Chico, like other jazz artists, was likely performing the music and arrangements heard on those albums months prior to the recording sessions. The rock and pop groups of this era, by contrast, were generally working things out in the studio just prior to the sessions. They were often playing Chuck Berry and Little Richard live while they were adapting the Tibetan Book of the Dead for lyrics in the studio.

So, if anything, Chico would have been a greater influence on the aforementioned groups than the other way around, at least in terms of the eastern influence.

[Cali]

I have a Columbia LP by Chico recorded in 61 or 62 under the name of DRUMFUSION; THE DYNAMIC NEW CHICO HAMILTON QUINTET.

The quintet consisted of Charles LLoyd, Gabor Szabo, Garnett Brown and Albert Stinson. Wonderful music.

[Shrdlu]

I didn't get into Chico and his groups back when it was all happening, but in recent years have really enjoyed all his Impulse albums. There is tremendous variety, his own groups and ad hoc session lineups both being featured.

Chico is a subtle drummer, and I don't think I've ever heard him feature himself.

Arnie Lawrence on alto is fantastic, and way better than a lot of out-of-tune guys from the 60s. Richard Davis plays a monster solo on one album - I think it's "The Dealer".

[king ubu]

Would make an excellent Mosaic set, these Impulse Albums of Chico's!

I've only got "The Dealer" and an ole LP of "Passin' Through", would love to hear the other albums!

[flat5]

Albert Stinson plays bass on "The Dealer".

[clifford_thornton]

And Archie Shepp on piano.

[Chas]

I have a Columbia LP by Chico recorded in 61 or 62 under the name of DRUMFUSION; THE DYNAMIC NEW CHICO HAMILTON QUINTET.

The quintet consisted of Charles LLoyd, Gabor Szabo, Garnett Brown and Albert Stinson. Wonderful music.

If for nothing else , Lloyd's threnody for fellow Memphian Booker Little , A Rose For Booker , makes the album worth having .

[AllenLowe]

hey, did you guys know that Bernie Hamilton. who played the sergeant on Starsky and Hutch, was Chico's brother?

(off topic, I know, but interesting) (and one can see the resemblance)

Edited March 10, 2010 by AllenLowe

[flat5]

Interesting. Another trivia category.

Alan Arkin's brother is bass player Bob Arkin.

Yes, on "The Dealer" Shepp plays piano on his tune which he brought to the session. Just that tune.

[Tom 1960]

Any thoughts on this release? It's released on Avid Records out of the UK. Legit? Worth exploring?

[J.A.W.]

Avid is one of those labels taking advantage of the European Union's 50-year copyright laws.

[Teasing the Korean]

It's really amazing to me that, if I can believe Amazon, as late as 2010 most of Chico's 1960s Impulse albums with Gabor Szabo STILL have not made it to CD. This stuff was huge with DJs at least 15 years ago if not before. Some real luddites must be in charge of reissues. The mind boggles.

[felser]

Any thoughts on this release? It's released on Avid Records out of the UK. Legit? Worth exploring?

Legit? Depends on your point of view (don't want to start the debate here yet again). Worth owning, at the price those things sell for? Absolutely. I own it, am quite pleased with it.

Would make an excellent Mosaic set, these Impulse Albums of Chico's!

IMO, better yet would be a Mosaic of the sides with Lloyd and Szabo, as the Columbia's have never made it to CD and the Impulse's were butchered.

[six string]

I really like Chico's albums with Charles Lloyd and/or Gabor Szabo but he also did an album with the band Little Feat (sans Richie Hayward) on Stax called The Master. It was under Chico's name and if you're a fan of The Feat it's worth checking out. It's an all instrumental album too.

[Stereojack]

IMO, better yet would be a Mosaic of the sides with Lloyd and Szabo, as the Columbia's have never made it to CD and the Impulse's were butchered.

This may be tough for Mosaic to pull together, as they would have to draw from at least four labels to gather it all:

Drumfusion (Columbia)

A Different Journey (Reprise)

Passin' Thru (Impulse)

Man From Two Worlds (Impulse)

Transfusion (Studio West)

I agree that these are all fine records, and would make an excellent set. The last one consists of short tracks recorded for the US Navy, and first issued in the 1990's. Perhaps not as essential as the others, but interesting. Lloyd is also on Chico's previous Columbia LP ("The Chico Hamilton Special"), but the format is closer to the old Hamilton group, with cello and no Szabo.

[Leeway]

Don't think anybody mentioned it, but Chico was hip enough to bring a young Eric Dolphy into his group:

[ghost of miles]

I have a Columbia LP by Chico recorded in 61 or 62 under the name of DRUMFUSION; THE DYNAMIC NEW CHICO HAMILTON QUINTET.

The quintet consisted of Charles LLoyd, Gabor Szabo, Garnett Brown and Albert Stinson. Wonderful music.

I'll second Cali's recommendation for this record--listening to it right now, as I'm working on a Night Lights show about Hamilton's early/mid-1960s period, covering many of the Impulses and this Columbia release. Didn't realize how much Charles Lloyd had written for this group.

[flat5]

I collect everything that Albert Stinson played on.

[jostber]

Don't think anybody mentioned it, but Chico was hip enough to bring a young Eric Dolphy into his group:

This looks like an interesting session. Another very fine collaboration album with Andrew Hill:

Edited August 8, 2011 by jostber

[Larry Kart]

Don't think anybody mentioned it, but Chico was hip enough to bring a young Eric Dolphy into his group:

Heard that band on a package tour before I knew who Dolphy was. He made quite an impact; on bass clarinet it sounded like he'd invented a new instrument, which was more or less the case.

[mracz]

There is of course "Of course, of course" with Lloyd and Szabo (but not Hamilton) on Columbia (1965) which is another winner, and some of the same vibe as the early Lloyd/Szabo/Hamilton albums. The whole Chico Hamilton musical journey from the early fifties through the mid-sixties is special, but unavailability of so much of the material for DECADES (particularly the Dolphy material and more recently the Impulses!)has made it hard to get the overview that he deserves. I don't know much if any of Hamilton's later work. Any recs?

[JSngry]