Hampton Performs at 90: The Spirit Remains Strong

The flesh may be weak for Lionel Hampton, but there’s no denying the indomitable musical spirit of the legendary jazz vibist. On Sunday night at the Ford Amphitheatre, leading his 14-piece New York band on a cool, windy night, he invested the proceedings with the spirited enthusiasm that has characterized his music for more than six decades.

Hampton, who turned 90 in April, is suffering the effects of several strokes experienced in recent years. Obliged to sit rather than stand behind his vibes and lacking the physical dexterity to play with the rapidity of his younger years, he has lost none of his ability to precisely place a note for its greatest rhythmic impact.

And his always impressive capacity to find first-rate young players continues unabated. The band he brought to the Ford--filled with relatively unfamiliar faces (with the exception of trombonist Garnet Brown and bassist John Heard)--was first rate, both as an ensemble and in the quality of the soloing.

At the center of it all, Hampton kept everything together, sometimes with a small riff on his vibes, sometimes with the wave of his hand, often with a shout of encouragement. And, despite his uncertain speaking voice, he sang several numbers--notably a rocking blues, his signature “Hamp’s Boogie” and a lovely rendering of “It’s a Wonderful World”--with clarity and feeling.

The concert, a belated birthday celebration benefiting his Jazz History Education Foundation, also included a number of other performances. The trio of Gerald Wiggins on piano, Andy Simpkins on bass and Paul Humphrey on drums was superb, playing a set that defined the manner in which jazz can be simultaneously imaginative, elegant and swinging.

Trumpeter Harry “Sweets” Edison, joining the trio, has lost some of the smooth articulation that characterized his work with, among others, Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. But, like Hampton, he articulated his minimal flow of notes with an undiminished sense of swing. Pianist Lalo Schifrin also appeared with his trio, focusing his busy two-handed playing on his own music.