Scott Hamilton

Scott Hamilton (born September 12, 1954) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and mainstream jazz.

Hamilton was born on September 12, 1954, in Providence, Rhode Island. Growing up, he heard a lot of jazz through his father’s extensive record collection and became acquainted with the jazz greats.

Keen on playing music, he tried out several instruments, including drums at about the age of five and piano at six. He had some clarinet lessons, as well, when he was around eight, but that was the only formal music tuition he has ever had. Even at that age, he was attracted to the sound of American alto-saxophonist Johnny Hodges, but it was not until he was about sixteen that he started playing the saxophone seriously.

Hamilton emerged in the 1970s and at the time he was considered to be one of the few musicians of real talent who carried forward the tradition of the classic jazz tenor saxophone in the style of Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims, and Don Byas. Initially, playing in various rhythm & blues outfits in Providence (Rhode Island), he subsequently shifted to jazz and the tenor saxophone. 

In 1976, at the age of 22, he moved to New York City, in part at the recommendation of trumpeter Roy Eldridge. He toured with Benny Goodman for a period of time and recorded his debut album in 1977 for Concord Records (owned by Carl Jefferson), with whom he maintained a long recording career in his own name and as a member of the Concord Jazz All Stars. He also accompanied singer Rosemary Clooney in the studio and on the road for a decade.

In the early 1980s, he formed his own quintet and toured throughout the world. Free from his drinking habit, in 1982 he matured sufficiently to break away from the strong influence of Zoot Sims and Ben Webster, whom he was accused of imitating. From this point, his playing and tone were very much his own.

Living in New York City, Hamilton toured throughout the world during the 1980s, spending much time playing in Japan and Europe. He was in particular a recurrent visitor to the UK, Sweden, and the Grande Parade du Jazz, held in Nice, France.

By the early 1990s, he was ready for a next step, and by 1994 when he released Organic Duke, he had developed a singular style: a large, well-rounded but a focused tone and improvising, ostensibly still based on swing (especially Duke Ellington), but incorporating more modern elements. During this period, he relocated to London and formed his current quartet, featuring British musicians John Pearce (p), Dave Green (b), and Steve Brown (dr) with whom he recorded East of the Sun in 1993. (East of the Sun features Brian Lemon on piano, not John Pearce.).

In 2007, he made a guest appearance at the Brecon Jazz Festival accompanied by Humphrey Lyttelton and His Band. Part of this concert was shown on BBC Four as Humph's Last Stand, a tribute to Lyttelton after his death in 2008.

During 2013 through November 2014, Hamilton has featured prominently with Andrea Motis and Joan Chamorro Quintet, backing the acclaimed Spanish jazz singer with his celebrated tenor saxophone, notably in Spain at Barcelona's Jamboree Club, but also at other venues in Europe. Hamilton has also featured—alongside Motis and Chamorro—with the San Andreu Jazz Band, a Barcelona-based young jazz musician group, created and directed by Joan Chamorro.

As leader

• Scott Hamilton Is a Good Wind Who Is Blowing Us No Ill (Concord Jazz, 1977)
• Scott Hamilton 2 (Concord Jazz, 1978)
• Scott Hamilton and Warren Vache (with Scott's Band in New York) (Concord Jazz, 1978)
• Live at Concord '77 with Ross Tompkins, Joe Venuti, Ray Brown, Jake Hanna (Concord Jazz, 1978)
• Back to Back with Buddy Tate (Concord Jazz, 1979)
• No Bass Hit with Jake Hanna, Dave McKenna (Concord Jazz, 1979)
• Tenorshoes (Concord Jazz, 1980)
• Skyscrapers with Warren Vache (Concord Jazz, 1980)
• Apples and Oranges (Concord Jazz, 1981)
• Scott's Buddy with Buddy Tate (Concord Jazz, 1981)
• Close Up (Concord Jazz, 1982)
• Tour De Force with Al Cohn (Concord Jazz, 1982)
• A First with Ruby Braff (Concord Jazz, 1985)
• A Sailboat in the Moonlight with Ruby Braff (Concord Jazz, 1986)
• Major League with Jake Hanna, Dave McKenna (Concord Jazz, 1986)
• A Sound Investment with Flip Phillips (Concord Jazz, 1987)
• Plays Ballads (Concord Jazz, 1989)
• Radio City (Concord Jazz, 1990)
• The Gene Harris/Scott Hamilton Quintet: At Last (Concord Jazz, 1990)
• Groovin' High with Ken Peplowski, Spike Robinson (Concord Jazz, 1992)
• Race Point with Gerald Wiggins, Andy Simpkins, Jeff Hamilton, Howard Alden (Concord Jazz, 1992)
• Scott Hamilton with Strings (Concord Jazz, 1993)
• East of the Sun (Concord Jazz, 1993)
• Organic Duke (Concord Jazz, 1994)
• Live at the Brecon Jazz Festival (Concord Jazz, 1995)
• Groovin' High: Live at EJ's (JLR, 1996)
• My Romance (Concord Jazz, 1996)
• After Hours (Concord Jazz, 1997)
• Christmas Love Song (Concord Jazz, 1997)
• The Red Door with Bucky Pizzarelli (Concord, 1998)
• Blues Bop & Ballads (Concord Jazz, 1999)
• Jazz Signatures (Concord Jazz, 2001)
• Scott Hamilton Quartet Live in London (Concord Jazz, 2003)
• Heavy Juice with Harry Allen (Concord Jazz, 2004)
• Back in New York (Concord Jazz, 2005)
• Nocturnes & Serenades (Concord Jazz, 2006)
• Live at Jazztone Loerrach with Olaf Polziehn (Satin Doll, 2006)
• Zootcase with Alan Barnes (Woodville 2007)
• Across the Tracks (Concord Jazz, 2008)
• Mainstream Giants of Jazz (Robinwood, 2009)
• Midnight at Nola's Penthouse with Rossano Sportiello (Arbors, 2010)
• Hi-Ya with Alan Barnes (Woodville, 2010)
• A Splendid Trio with Howard Alden and Frank Tate (Arbors, 2011)
• Tight but Loose with Dusko Goykovich (Organic, 2011)
• Scott Hamilton Meets Jesper Thilo (Stunt, 2011)
• How About You with Bernard Pichl (Organic, 2011)
• 'Round Midnight with Harry Allen (Challenge, 2012)
• Remembering Billie (Blue Duchess, 2013)
• Swedish Ballads & More with Jan Lundgren (Stunt, 2013)
• I Could Write a Book with Andrea Pozza (Fone, 2013)
• Live at Smalls (Smallslive, 2014)
• Scott Hamilton Plays with the Dany Doriz Caveau de la Huchette Orchestra (Frémeaux & Associés, 2014)
• Bean and the Boys with Paolo Birro and Alfred Kramer (Fone, 2015)
• Who Cares? with Andrea Pozza (Fone, 2015)
• Live in Bern with Jeff Hamilton (Capri, 2015)
• Second Time Around with Dusko Goykovich (Organic, 2015)
• Scott Hamilton Plays Jule Styne (Blue Duchess, 2015)
• The Shadow of Your Smile (Blau, 2016)
• Live! with Harry Allen (Gac 2016)
• La Rosita (Blau, 2016)
• The Best Things in Life with Karin Krog (Stunt, 2016)
• Ballads for Audiophiles with Paolo Birro, Alfred Kramer, Aldo Zunino (Fone, 2017)
• Triple Treat with Leah Kline, Francesca Tandoi (2017)
• Meets the Piano Players (Organic, 2017)
• The Things We Did Last Summer with Champian Fulton (Blau, 2017)
• Moon Mist (Blau, 2018)
• Street of Dreams (Blau, 2019)

As sideman

With Ruby Braff

• A First (Concord Jazz, 1985)
• Mr. Braff to You (Phontastic, 1986)
• Volume One (Concord Jazz, 1991)
• Volume Two (Concord Jazz, 1992)
• For the Last Time (Arbors, 2008)

With Rosemary Clooney

• Everything's Coming Up Rosie (Concord Jazz, 1977)
• Here's to My Lady (Concord Jazz, 1979)
• Rosemary Clooney Sings the Lyrics of Ira Gershwin (Concord Jazz, 1980)
• With Love (Concord Jazz, 1981)
• Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Cole Porter (Concord Jazz, 1982)
• Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Harold Arlen (Concord Jazz, 1983)
• Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Irving Berlin (Concord Jazz, 1984)
• Rosemary Clooney Sings Ballads (Concord, 1985)
• Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Jimmy Van Heusen (Concord Jazz, 1986)
• Rosemary Clooney Sings the Lyrics of Johnny Mercer (Concord Jazz, 1987)
• Show Tunes (Concord Jazz, 1989)
• Do You Miss New York? (Concord Jazz, 1993)

With others

• Harry Allen, Just You, Just Me (BMG/Novus 2003)
• Harry Allen, Stompin' the Blues (Arbors, 2008)
• Karrin Allyson, Scott Hamilton, Concord Jazz Festival All-Stars, Fujitsu-Concord 27th Jazz Festival (Concord 1996)
• Tony Bennett & k.d. lang, A Wonderful World (RPM/Columbia 2002)
• Bill Berry, For Duke (M&K, 1978)
• Ed Bickert, At Toronto's Bourbon Street (Concord Jazz, 1983)
• Jimmy Bruno, Live at Birdland II (Concord Jazz, 1999)
• John Bunch, John's Other Bunch (Famous Door, 1977)
• Charlie Byrd, It's a Wonderful World (Concord Jazz, 1989)
• Charlie Byrd, My Inspiration (Concord Picante, 1999)
• Benny Carter, A Gentleman and His Music (Concord Jazz, 1985)
• Dany Doriz, Scott Hamilton Plays with The Dany Doriz Caveau De La Huchette Orchestra (Fremeaux & Associes, 2014)
• Manfredo Fest, Oferenda (Concord Picante, 1993)
• Chris Flory, Duke Robillard, Blues in My Heart (Stony Plain, 2007)
• Chris Flory, The Chris Flory Quintet Featuring Scott Hamilton (Arbors, 2011)
• Jay Geils, Jay Geils Plays Jazz! (Stony Plain, 2005)
• Steve Goodman, Say It in Private (Asylum, 1977)
• Woody Herman, Presents a Concord Jam Volume 1 (Concord Jazz, 1981)
• Woody Herman, A Great American Evening Vol. 3 (Concord Jazz 1983)
• Eddie Higgins, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Venus, 2002)
• Eddie Higgins, A Handful of Stars (Venus, 2009)
• Eiji Kitamura, Dear Friends (Concord Jazz, 1980)
• Brian Lemon, Roy Williams, How Long Has This Been Going On? (Zephyr, 1996)
• Tina May, I'll Take Romance (Linn, 2003)
• Susannah McCorkle, Sabia (Concord Jazz, 1990)
• Dave McKenna, No Holds Barred (Famous Door, 1979)
• Butch Miles, Miles and Miles of Swing (Famous Door, 1978)
• Andrea Motis, Live at Jamoboree Barcelona (Swit 2013)
• Red Norvo, Red in New York (Famous Door, 1977)
• Gerry Mulligan, Soft Lights & Sweet Music (Concord Jazz, 1986)
• Ken Peplowski, Mr. Gentle and Mr. Cool (Concord Jazz, 1990)
• Flip Phillips, Flip Philllips Celebrates His 80th Birthday at the March of Jazz 1995 (Arbors, 2003)
• Duke Robillard, Swing (Rounder, 1987)
• Duke Robillard, A Swinging Session with Duke Robillard (DixieFrog, 2008)
• Jess Roden, The Player Not the Game (Island, 1977)
• Roomful of Blues, The First Album (Varrick 1988)
• Derek Smith, The Man I Love (Progressive, 1978)
• Maxine Sullivan, Uptown (Concord Jazz, 1985)
• Maxine Sullivan, Swingin' Sweet (Concord Jazz, 1988)
• Cal Tjader, The Shining Sea (Concord Jazz, 1981)
• Cal Tjader, Both Sides of the Coin (Concord Picante, 2001)
• Larry Vuckovich, Somethin' Special (Tetrachord Music 2011)
• Warren Vaché Jr., Blues Walk (Dreamstreet, 1978)
• Bob Wilber, Bob Wilber and the Scott Hamilton Quartet (Chiaroscuro, 1977)