Died: September 20, 1994, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Active: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s
Genres: Jazz
Instrument: Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
Representative Albums: "Benny Morton and Jimmy Hamilton Blue Note Swingtets," "Rediscovered Live at the Buccaneer," "Can't Help Swinging"
Representative Songs: "Blues for Clarinets," "Blues in My Music Room," "Gone With the Blues"
Biography
A longtime member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Jimmy Hamilton's cool vibrato-less tone and advanced style (which was ultimately influenced by bop) initially bothered some listeners more accustomed to Barney Bigard's warmer New Orleans sound, but Hamilton eventually won them over with his brilliant playing. As opposed to how he sounded on clarinet, Hamilton's occasional tenor playing was gutsy and emotional. Prior to joining Ellington, he had worked with Lucky Millinder, Jimmy Mundy, and most noticeably Teddy Wilson's sextet (1940-1942) and Eddie Heywood; Hamilton also recorded with Billie Holiday. He was with Ellington for 25 years (1943-1968), and was well-featured on clarinet on "Air Conditioned Jungle," "Ad Lib on Nippon," and a countless number of other pieces. After leaving Ellington, Hamilton moved to the Virgin Islands, where he taught music in public schools. He did return to the U.S. to play with Clarinet Summit in 1981 and 1985, and gigged a bit in New York during 1989-1990, but was otherwise little heard from in his later years. Jimmy Hamilton only had a few opportunities to record as a leader, mostly dates for Urania (1954), Everest (1960), Swingville (two in 1961), and a 1985 set for Who's Who. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
In 1943 he replaced Barney Bigard in the Duke Ellington orchestra, and stayed with Ellington until 1968. His style was very different on his two instruments: on tenor saxophone he had an R&B sound, while on clarinet he was much more precise and correct, though fluent. He wrote some of his own material in his time with Ellington.
After he left the Ellington orchestra Hamilton played and arranged on a freelance basis, before spending the 1970s and 1980s in the Virgin Islands teaching music (though he occasionally returned to the U.S. for performances with John Carter's Clarinet Summit). On his retirement from teaching he continued to perform with his own groups from 1989 to 1990.
Hamilton died in St. Croix, Virgin Islands at the age of seventy-seven.
