American jazz vibraphonists

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 30. Chapters: Lionel Hampton, Cal Tjader, Joe Locke, Bobby Hutcherson, Gary Burton, Milt Jackson, Bill Ware, Roy Ayers, Terry Gibbs, Red Norvo, Stefon Harris, Johnny Lytle, Emil Richards, Dave Pike, Buddy Montgomery, Luigi Waites, Jay Hoggard, Gary McFarland, John Cocuzzi, Larry Bunker, Teddy Charles, Steve Nelson, Chuck Redd, Steve Raybine, George Masso, Joe Roland, Kevin Norton, Tommy Gwaltney, Walt Dickerson, Bobby Naughton, Gregg Bendian, Johnny Rae, David Friedman, Mike Mainieri, Stu Katz, Hal Russell, Bob Harrington. Excerpt: Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 ¿ August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy Rich to Charlie Parker and Quincy Jones. In 1992, he was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Lionel Hampton was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1908, and was raised by his grandmother. Shortly after he was born, he and his mother moved to her hometown Birmingham, Alabama. He spent his early childhood in Kenosha, Wisconsin before he and his family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1916. As a youth, Hampton was a member of the Bud Billiken Club, an alternative to the Boy Scouts of America, which was off limits because of racial segregation. During the 1920s¿while still a teenager¿Hampton took xylophone lessons from Jimmy Bertrand and started playing drums. Hampton was raised Roman Catholic, and started out playing fife and drum at the Holy Rosary Academy near Chicago. Lionel Hampton began his career playing drums for the Chicago Defender Newsboys' Band (led by Major N. Clark Smith) while still a teenager in Chicago. He moved to California in 1927 or 1928, playing drums for the Dixieland Blues-Blowers. He made his recording debut with The Quality Serenaders led by Paul Howard, then left for Culver City and drummed for the Les Hite band at Sebastian's Cotton Club. During this period he began practicing on the vibraphone. In 1930 Louis Armstrong came to California and hired the Les Hite band, asking Hampton if he would play vibes on two songs. So began his career as a vibraphonist, popularizing the use of the instrument ever since. While working with the Les Hite band, Hampton also occasionally did some performing with Nat Shilkret and his orchestra. During the early 1930s he studied music at the University of Southern California. In 1934