SCOTT HAMILTON - Classics
Stunt Records: STUCD 22032
Scott Hamilton (tenor sax) Jan Lundgren (piano) Hans Backenroth (bass) Kristian Leth (drums)
Recorded November 2021 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Nobody does it better. By that I mean the re-creation and curation of the classic style of swing to bop tenor sax playing we associate with Zoot Sims and Ben Webster. For the typically middle-aged and beyond constituency who follow Scott Hamilton his playing represents the ultimate in melodic, swinging saxophone jazz that is consistently approachable , never pandering to transient fashions or resorting to exhibitionism but attend any of his live gigs and your view of the bandstand will be partly obscured by a sea of greying barnets and balding pates, reminding you that the audience for Scott’s style may be more time limited than the music he purveys.
In the 45 years since he was memorably described as “a good wind who is blowing us no ill” Scott must have performed every ballad in the Great American Songbook. These are not the `classics` featured in this latest release but well known themes from the classical music repertoire which he handles pretty much in the same way as he would his more familiar material rendering pieces based on works by Debussy, Dvoŕak, Rachmanioff, Chopin and the like as smooth medium tempo ballads; only his version of Tchaikovsky’s `Swan Lake` being given a bit of a boot. As ever is the case Scott operates in the company of a peerless rhythm section and his trio of Scandinavian buddies provide the necessary finesse required of a project of this type: a suave, sedate, swinging support.
Hamilton devotees needn’t fear that their man is getting a bit above himself – there are no attempts to emulate `Third Sream` sophistry and they will be delighted to wallow in another impeccable performance from the current jazz scene’s most revered `Keeper of the Flame`. Younger listeners , unfamiliar with his music could do themselves a favour by tuning to Hamilton’s command of a retro sound that will hopefully always have a place within contemporary jazz.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Stunt Records: STUCD 22032
Scott Hamilton (tenor sax) Jan Lundgren (piano) Hans Backenroth (bass) Kristian Leth (drums)
Recorded November 2021 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Nobody does it better. By that I mean the re-creation and curation of the classic style of swing to bop tenor sax playing we associate with Zoot Sims and Ben Webster. For the typically middle-aged and beyond constituency who follow Scott Hamilton his playing represents the ultimate in melodic, swinging saxophone jazz that is consistently approachable , never pandering to transient fashions or resorting to exhibitionism but attend any of his live gigs and your view of the bandstand will be partly obscured by a sea of greying barnets and balding pates, reminding you that the audience for Scott’s style may be more time limited than the music he purveys.
In the 45 years since he was memorably described as “a good wind who is blowing us no ill” Scott must have performed every ballad in the Great American Songbook. These are not the `classics` featured in this latest release but well known themes from the classical music repertoire which he handles pretty much in the same way as he would his more familiar material rendering pieces based on works by Debussy, Dvoŕak, Rachmanioff, Chopin and the like as smooth medium tempo ballads; only his version of Tchaikovsky’s `Swan Lake` being given a bit of a boot. As ever is the case Scott operates in the company of a peerless rhythm section and his trio of Scandinavian buddies provide the necessary finesse required of a project of this type: a suave, sedate, swinging support.
Hamilton devotees needn’t fear that their man is getting a bit above himself – there are no attempts to emulate `Third Sream` sophistry and they will be delighted to wallow in another impeccable performance from the current jazz scene’s most revered `Keeper of the Flame`. Younger listeners , unfamiliar with his music could do themselves a favour by tuning to Hamilton’s command of a retro sound that will hopefully always have a place within contemporary jazz.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
