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The
life and career of Jazz musician Andy Hamilton are quite remarkable –
even by Jazz standards!
Born in 1918, in Port Maria in Jamaica, his first exposure to music was
through the church and a family piano. As early radio broadcasts from
the USA were received across the Caribbean Andy heard the original music
of what became known as The Jazz Age in the 1920’s.
He made his
first "sax" from bamboo and got his young friends to form his first band,
Silvershine, in 1928. They were offered a booking at the Kingston Carnival
where people danced on the roof and it collapsed, while Andy was playing,
breaking the double bass. He
saw a teenage Jamaican, George Headley score over 700 runs against England
in 1929.
His first experiences
on saxophone came through renting out an instrument from a local gambler,
soon Andy had his own and started to perform regularly across the island.
He joined the war effort in the USA and was offered regular gigs on the
Jazz trail towards New York. However he had to return to Jamaica where
he reformed his band and took up residency at The Titchfield Hotel in
Port Antonio.
The most exclusive
hotel in the area, regular visitors included Noel Coward and his entourage.
In the late 1940’s Hollywood legend Errol Flynn arrived in town and after
hearing Andy play, sent a taxi and a summons to meet Robin Hood ! The
next 2 years were spent working with Flynn and playing music on the famous
yacht Zaka. It was in 1948 that Andy composed for Flynn, a Jazz Calypso
tune called Silvershine.
In 1949 Andy, like
many others, left Jamaica and set sail for England, intending to make
some money and go on to the USA where his heroes, Ellington, Basie, Webster
and Lester Young were enjoying the Golden Age of Jazz. He got no further
than Birmingham and formed his own band, The Blue Notes.
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Life
in the 1950’s was not easy in Birmingham and Andy had more than his share
of problems with work, accommodation and racism, he lost his front teeth
when assaulted by Mosley’s fascists at a concert he had organised. Undaunted
he has set up venues and concerts across the city, for over 50 years,
notably to provide after show entertainment for the great American bands
of Basie and Ellington and West Indian Cricket teams from the 1950’s.
With a large, young
family to provide for and a band to run, Andy rarely ventured outside
Birmingham and became a local celebrity who regularly played a civic functions,
organised nights and opened venues where people from all ages and backgrounds
were made welcome.
In 1985 Andy Hamilton
was rushed to hospital in a diabetic coma and was not expected to live.
Amazingly, while in the coma, the melody to Silvershine, a song he had
not played or thought about in nearly 40 years, came to him and brought
him out of the coma. A new life was about to begin.
In 1988 his 70th
Birthday was celebrated at his regular Jazz venue, The Bear, where Val
Wilmer, the UK’s leading Jazz writer paid a visit. Her half page review
in The Independent was spotted by the promoters of The Soho Jazz Festival
who invited him to play. At his performance Nick Gold from World Circuit
Records was i impressed and offered Andy a recording contract. At the
age of 72 his debut album "Silvershine" was released to universal acclaim,
it became the biggest selling UK Jazz Album the Year, was one of the 50
Sony International recordings of the year and was named as The Times Jazz
Album of The Year. A film documentary was made by the Foreign Office,
directed by an Oscar winning producer. He made TV and radio broadcasts
of live concerts, was invited to major festivals and venues in Paris,
Milan, Madrid, St Lucia, Jamaica (where he was inducted in The Hall of
Fame), WOMAD festivals across Europe
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In
1996 he was awarded an Honorary Master of Arts degree by Birmingham University
and in 1999 he was presented with a Millennium Fellowship for his work in
Community Education. He is the key figure in the development of the Jazz
programme at The Drum in Birmingham, a £4.5m Black Performing Arts Centre,
his regular venue at The Bear has hosted some of the biggest names in Jazz
and he plays regularly at prestigious venues and festivals. His enthusiasm
for teaching has led to the establishment of The Andy Hamilton School of
Music supported by the Millennium Commission, which, is offering people
of all ages, the chance to learn from and play with one of the truly great
men of Jazz. |
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John Fordham – The Guardian –
"Sumptuous, sensuous, gifted and mercurial, Hamilton’s sound
is irresistible"
Clive Davis – The Times –
"What a relief to hear Andy Hamilton, his distinctive mellow
tone and innate sense of melody, set him apart."
David Bodham – Ronnie Scott’s –
"A real discovery, his version of Old Folks with David Murray
is the best I know – he is a real find"
Kings Jazz Review -
"Hamilton has produced a Masterpiece – he will surely be offered
a place among the unique saxophonists of the world"
David Murray
" My hero - it’s his tone – it knocks me out"
Art Farmer
"So soulful – so mellow "
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