Scott Hamilton & Friends
Across the Tracks
Concord
By George W. Harris

I know that it’s hard to believe, but at one time, tenorist Scott Hamilton, by playing music like the type displayed on this wonderfully swinging release, was on jazz’s cutting edge. When absolutely everyone else was into either fusion or plugging into some sort of electronic devise, Hamilton strode into town with his 24 year old hair slicked back and blew everyone’s mind by daring to play acoustic jazz in the style of pre WWII, displaying absolutely no influence nor debt to John Coltrane nor any other angry or electronic tenorist. Now, on his 60 somethingth disc, Hamilton goes back to the basics of jazz again, recording in Rudy Van Gelder’s historic studio, and mixing it up with blues guitarist Duke Robillard and Hammond B3 groovemeister Gene Ludwig for some high octane swing.

Hamilton’s sound gets thicker and thicker with each passing year. At 53, his tone can only be cut with a steak knife, and it sounds delicious on Sonny Stitt’s uptempo “Deuces Wild” and the overlooked Duke Ellington’s “Cop Out.” Just where DID he find that song?!? Roomful of Blues baritone blower Doug James joins in on a couple of tracks. The mixture of the two deep horns with the B3 is food for the soul on the romping “Parker’s Pals” and the Kenton classic “Intermission Riff.” Ballads like Lucky Millender’s “Sweet Slumber” (another overlooked beauty) spotlight the reason for falling in love with Hamilton’s horn. The longer I listen to jazz, the less I care about chops, and the more I am impressed by tone. This guy’s got the real thing that I keep coming back for.