Slide Hampton's distinguished career spans decades in the evolution of jazz. At the age of 12 he was already touring the Midwest with the Indianapolis-based Hampton Band, led by his father and comprising other members of his musical family. By 1952, at the age of 20, he was performing at Carnegie Hall with the Lionel Hampton Band. He then joined Maynard Ferguson's band, playing trombone and providing exciting charts on such popular tunes as “The Fugue,” “Three Little Foxes,” and “Slide's Derangement.”
As his reputation grew, he soon began working with bands led by Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Barry Harris, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, and Max Roach, again contributing both original compositions and arrangements. In 1962, he formed the Slide Hampton Octet, which included stellar horn players Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, and George Coleman. The band toured the U.S. and Europe and recorded on several labels.
In 1968 he toured with Woody Herman orchestra, settling in Europe where he remained until 1977. He taught at Harvard, artist-in-residence in 1981, the University of Massachusetts, De Paul University in Chicago, and Indiana State University. During this period he led his own nine-trombone, three-rhythm band, World of Trombones, co-led Continuum (a quintet with Jimmy Heath that plays the music of Tadd Dameron), freelanced as both a writer and a player--. He also appeared on The Cosby Show 1986. The episode entitled "Play It Again, Russell", is a reference to "Play it again, Sam", a quote from Casablanca (1942). Hampton also played the trombone in Diana Ross Live! The Lady Sings... Jazz & Blues: Stolen Moments (1992) DVD.
In 2005 Hampton was honored at the jazz festival in Indianapolis. There the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation inducted him into their Hall of Fame. On June 4, 2006, with manager Tony Charles, Hampton promoted his first concert at The Tribecca PAC in New York (a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim) and debuted the Slide Hampton® Ultra Big Band. The concert was the first of many planned for the near future.
2009 saw the completion of four new compositions entitled "A Tribute to African-American Greatness". The songs honor Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods, and Venus & Serena Williams . The songs contain accompanying lyrics written by Hampton and his song writing partner / manager Tony Charles. Arrangements honoring Thelonious Monk, Thad Jones, Eddie Harris, Dexter Gordon and Gil Evans round out the program. The album will be recorded in 2011. He recently completed two new Big Band arrangements - "In Case of Emergency" and "The Drum Song" (both Hampton originals). These two songs (and others) are available exclusively through Slide Hampton® Musique Publishing, LLC.
He was a 1998 GRAMMY® Award winner for "Best Jazz Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)", as arranger for "Cotton Tail" performed by Dee Dee Bridgewater. He was also a GRAMMY® winner in 2005 for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album," The Way: Music of Slide Hampton®, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and received another nomination in 2006 for his arrangement of "Stardust" for the Dizzy Gillespie™ All-Star Big Band.
In 2005, the National Endowment for the Arts honored Slide Hampton® with its highest honor in jazz, the NEA Jazz Masters Award. A master composer / arranger and uniquely gifted trombone player, Hampton's career is among the most distinguished in jazz.
