Lionel Hampton Swinging At His Best

Description

Lionel Hampton may not have been the first person to play the vibraphone, but he is widely acknowledged as the first to utilize it as a jazz instrument. Hampton, the "King of the Vibes" and one of the best-loved bandleaders of the swing era, lends his special magic to some of his most-memorable charts in rare, archival performances.

Songs include Midnight Sun, Air Mail Special, Vibe Boogie, and Slide Hamp Slide, among many other Hampton favorites.

No fan of jazz should be without LIONEL HAMPTON SWINGING AT HIS BEST.

Song List:

1 Midnight Sun 2 Flyin' Home 3 Lady Be Good 4 Who Cares 5 Beulah's Boogie 6 Love You Like Mad 7 Ding Dong Baby 8 Cobbs' Idea 9 Vibe Boogie 10 TV Special 11 Bongo Interlude 12 Air Mail Special 13 Slide, Hamp, Slide 14 Hamp's Idea

Customer Reviews:

Great performances; so-so audio/video quality.......2005-07-28

This DVD compiles 14 performances from Lionel Hampton's classic band of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Ten of these same performances are included in the "Swing Era - Duke Ellington/Lionel Hampton" DVD. Those looking for value may want to consider that release, but the ten duplicates don't include "Flying Home" or "Hamps Idea" - two of the better clips from "At His Best"

Audio/Video quality is acceptable for this era, but there really doesn't appear to have been much effort put into restoration. Three of the same clips are included on the "Jazz Legend - King of the Vibes" DVD - these same clips look and sound noticably better there. The performances are consistently excellent, as one would expect from Lionel Hampton. Not only Hamp himself, but his entire orchestra have infectious energy and enthusiasm for their music. This is exactly why the DVD rates as highly as it does - when you're great you're great; there's just no denying talent at this level.

As with most similar DVDs there are no extras. This is a solid buy for fans of Hamp or jazz/swing music of this era. I'd look at "Jazz Legend - King of the Vibes" by Hudson Music as a first purchase and "Swinging At His Best" as a follow up.

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