Hampton Hawes

鋼琴手Hampton Hawes的音樂生涯約可粗分為三個時期，以「服役」〈1952~1954〉與「入獄」〈1958~1963〉作為中間的分野；而其中西元1955至1958年間的錄音，也就是退伍后到入獄前的第二階段音樂生涯，絕對可以算是Hawes的頂峰時期。這段期間Hawes為Contemporary公司留下的錄音作品幾乎張張受到極高評價，當中在他因吸食海洛英被捕前所留下的「四重奏熱演」《Four！》專輯更是不在話下，且被好用又受歡迎的AMG網站評為「五星打勾」的最佳首選。 這張專輯錄制於西元1958年10月27日，成員包括了老搭檔貝斯手Red Mitchell、西岸重量級鼓手Shelly Manne，以及現(xiàn)正與腦癌努力奮戰(zhàn)的吉他手Barney Kessel。演奏曲目顯示了Hawes「西岸皮，東岸骨」的音樂取向，包括了《Yardbird Suite》、《Love Is Just Around The Corner》等咆勃經典。音樂內容熱鬧中帶著勁道與優(yōu)雅，專輯封面上四人悠閑揮桿的畫面其實蠻能夠形容這種感覺的！
by Scott Yanow
Hampton Hawes was one of the finest jazz pianists of the 1950s, a fixture on the Los Angeles scene who brought his own interpretations to the dominant Bud Powell style. In the mid- to late 40s, he played with Sonny Criss, Dexter Gordon, and Wardell Gray, among others on Central Avenue. He was with Howard McGhees band (1950-1951), played with Shorty Rogers and the Lighthouse All-Stars, served in the Army (1952-1954), and then led trios in the L.A. area, recording many albums for Contemporary. Arrested for heroin possession in 1958, Hawes spent five years in prison until he was pardoned by President Kennedy. He led trios for the remainder of his life, using electric piano (which disturbed his longtime fans) for a period in the early to mid-70s, but returned to acoustic piano before dying from a stroke in 1977. Hampton Hawes memoirs, Raise Up Off Me (1974), are both frank and memorable, and most of his records (for Xanadu, Prestige, Savoy, Contemporary, Black Lion, and Freedom) are currently available.