Scott Hamilton, Paolo Birro - Pure Imagination (2019) [SACD]

Saxophone player Scott Hamilton is 1 of the top artists on the Fone Jazz label. The album features Hamilton with pianist Paolo Birro performing 11 songs from the American song book.

This is a 2ch DSD recording. There is no editing used on the album. All the tracks on this release are heard as they were performed.

Scott Hamilton was born in 1954, in Providence, Rhode Island. During his early childhood he heard a lot of jazz through his father’s extensive record collection, & became acquainted with the jazz greats. He tried out several instruments, including drums at about the age of 5, piano at 6 & mouth-organ. He had some clarinet lessons when he was about 8 years of age, but that was the only formal music tuition he has ever had. Even at that age he was attracted to the sound of Johnny Hodges, but it was not until he was about 16 that he started playing the saxophone seriously. From his playing mainly blues on mouth organ, his little band gradually became more of a jazz band.
He moved to New York in 1976 at the age of 22, & through Roy Eldridge, with whom he had played a year previously in Boston, got a 6-week gig at Michael’s Pub. Roy also paved the way for him to work with Anita O’Day & Hank Jones. Although it was the tail-end of the of old New York scene, a lot of the greats were still playing & he got to work & learn from people like Eldridge, Illinois Jacquet, Vic Dickenson & Jo Jones. Eldridge was Scott’s champion, but pulled no punches, & could be extremely critical, something for which Scott has always been grateful. In December of the same year John Bunch got Scott his 1st recording date, for Famous Door, & was also responsible for him joining Benny Goodman. He continued to work with Goodman at different times until the early 1980s.

Tracks:

01. Expense Account
02. You’re Gonna Hear From Me
03. That’s Entertainment
04. If I’m Lucky
05. Day Dream
06. Funkallero
07. Easy to Love
08. Con Alma
09. Pure Imagination
10. All God’s Children Got Rhythm
11. Drinkin’ and Driving (502 Blues)

Personnel:

Scott Hamilton (saxophone)
Paolo Birro (piano)