"As a pianist, Hawes possesses a remarkably robust and vigorous style. The sixteen selections in 'All Night Session' teem with a pulsating energy and are marked by a seemingly inexhaustible stream of ideas. Although he can create chord patterns of great beauty as in 'I'll Remember April' and 'April in Paris', and he he can command a singing, lyrical tone, he is more attracted at this stage of his career to expressions of a dynamic character. His touch is firm and authoritative and he possesses a split second sense of timing. His technical mastery is so great that there is not a single blurred run, tangled triplet or ragged arpeggio, no matter how fast the tempo.
"Included among the sixteen selections are four original compositions by Hawes. They are of interest for two reasons. In the first instance, it is to be noted that they were composed at the record date itself and not written down beforehand. This gives them a spontaneous, ebullient quality, which is in a sense, their strongest characteristic. I was interested to learn that virtually all of Hawes' originals have been composed in this way. Instead of being written down, they are transcribed from his live performance, emphasizing the fact that his creative activity is the result of his role of an improviser. The second fact to be noted is that all four selections are blues - fast, vigorous blues, but blues nonetheless.
"Born in the center of West Coast jazz on November 13, 1928, Hampton Hawes became a member of the musicians' union when he was sixteen. The following year, while he still attended L.A.'s Polytechnic High School, from which he was graduated in 1946, he played with Big Jay McNeely's band. Before he was drafted into the army in 1953 for the usual two year stint, he gigged around L.A. with various modern combos, among them, Wardell Gray's, Red Norvo's, Dexter Gordon's, Teddy Edwards', and Howard Rumsey's All-Stars at the Hermosa Beach Lighthouse. The latter assignment came through a meeting with trumpeter Shorty Rogers, who after hearing him at a Gene Norman concert, immediately invited him to play the recording date which produced the first 'Giants' album on Capitol (1952).
"On his release from the army in 1955, Hawes took his own trio into L.A.'s Haig. He also recorded his first trio album for Contemporary Records (C3505), employing Chuck Thompson on drums and Red Mitchell on bass. This was followed in short order by two other trio albums (C3515 and C3523), both with the same personnel. Hailed as the 'Arrival of the Year' by 'Metronome' in the 1955 yearbook, Hawes was voted in 1956 'New Star' on piano by the annual 'Down Beat' poll of leading jazz critics. In the same year (1956), after completing a highly succesful engagement at The Tiffany in L.A., he left for an extended cross country tour, he met many Eastern jazzmen and was most impressed by Thelonious Monk as a musician and personality. In 1957 he made another tour back East, and enjoyed playing with Oscar Pettiford and Paul Chambers.
"Although his first three album for Contemporary were with his own trio, Hawes enjoys working with a quartet. 'You can do more rhythmic things and you can have more beats going. The full rhythm of drums, bass and guitar gives you two instruments to play rhythm (drums and bass) and keep the beat going. Then you can switch around. I like to hear other people play solos because it's inspiring, and gives you ideas other than your own to conjure with." (Arnold Shaw, March 26, 1958. From the liner notes.)
Performers: Hampton Hawes (pi), Jim Hall (gt), Red Mitchell (bs), Buzz Freeman (dr)
A1. Jordu
A2. Groovin' High
A3. Takin' Care
B1. Broadway
B2. Hampton's Pulpit
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