Hampton, Slide (Locksley Wellington)

Hampton, Slide (Locksley Wellington), trombonist, composer, arranger; b. Jeannette, Pa., April. 21, 1932. He played in the 1950s with Lionel Hampton and Maynard Ferguson (writing as well as playing), and also with Buddy Johnson (with whom he made his recording debut on June 24, 1957), before forming his own octet in 1959. He worked for R&B and blues singer Lloyd Price as musical director and did freelance arranging in the 1960s. He toured Europe in November 1962 with George Coleman, then played in N.Y. with Art Blakey and the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orch. He joined Woody Herman in 1968, with whom he toured Europe. Hampton settled there following the tour, doing radio work in Germany. He returned to N.Y. in 1977 and began heading his 12-piece band, the World of Trombones. Around 1982 he also formed Continuum, which recorded a tribute LP to Tadd Dameron. Since the 1980s he has been one of the most in- demand jazz composers, receiving numerous commissions including a version of Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” (the first three movements) for the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, which premiered in February 1998. He has also done many workshops with college bands.

Discography

And His Horn of Plenty (1959); Sister Salvation (1960); Somethin’ Sanctified (1960); Jazz with a Twist (1961); Two Sides of Slide (ca. 1961); Explosion! (1962); Drum Suite (1962); Fabulous S.H. Quartet (1969); World of Trombones (1979); Roots (1985); Dedicated to Diz (1993). continuum:Mad About Tadd (1982).

—Michael Fitzgerald/Lewis Porter