The Slide Hampton Octet - Sister Salvation (2012)

In 1959, trombonist Slide Hampton was known mainly for the excellent arrangements he did for the Maynard Ferguson Band, so it was no surprise that he formed his octet band and began making a serious bid for recognition as a top jazz artist and arranger, recording his first album for the small label Strand. His impact was immediate and in 1960 Slide signed for Atlantic resulting in two studio albums, Sister Salvation and Somethin Sanc- tified, which were the octet s first for the label. Both of them are in this set and, as a bonus included here, a previously unreleased gem in a series of broadcast octet performances recorded live at Birdland in 1961. Soloists like Freddie Hubbard, George Coleman, Jay Cameron and the leader were featured, but it s also worth noting that the octet s personnel on the live dates differs at times from the studio recordings, including, among others, tenor saxophonist Walter Benton and trumpet player Willie Thomas. Hampton summed up his overall approach simply. "I tried to get an instrumentation which would be between all the other sizes and yet get a little of each of these sounds." These recordings show how well he succeeded and how exciting the band was, particularly heard live.