Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes with Vic Evans
Andy Hamilton (ts) Vic Evans (voc) with piano, trumpet guitar bass and drums tbc.
Born in 1918, Andy formed his first band in 1928 in Jamaica, he then toured the USA in the 1940's and returned home to become Errol Flynn’s Music Director at the legendary Titchfield Hotel before coming to England in 1949 along with Dizzy Reece, Joe Harriot, Wilton Gaynair, Shake Keane.
Andy has been a leading light on the Birmingham jazz scene for more than fifty years, where he played with Benny Waters, Sweets Edison, Art Farmer, Ella, Sarah Vaughan and organised nights out for the Basie and Ellington bands on tour. But it’s only in the past twenty years that his reputation has grown with jazz fans outside Birmingham, with leading American and Cuban musicians appearing and recording with him. Andy celebrated his 90th Birthday party gigs with Scott Hamilton, Courtney Pine, Dennis Rollins, Jean Toussaint, Will Gaines and a trip to see David Murray in New York. Many of you will have heard his two live gigs broadcast on Jazz Line-Up in the past year and will know that at the age of ninety ninety-one by the time of the festival), he’s still blowing strong in a style that draws its musical inspiration from the Caribbean as well as the jazz tradition. He was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours for his life in music.
Abbreviations: as alto sax; b acoustic bass ; bjo banjo; bsax bass sax; cl clarinet, ct cornet; d drums; eb electric bass; eg electric guitar; fl flute; flg flugel horn; g guitar; org organ; p piano : sousa sousaphone; t = trumpet; tr trombone; ts tenor sax; viol violin; voc voice.