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Scott Hamilton and Duke Robillard: Swingin' Again

By Kyle Simpler
September 2, 2021
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Scott Hamilton and Duke Robillard: Swingin' Again

In 1987,

Duke Robillard

guitar, steel
b.1948

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Robillard released the album Swing (Rounder), a successful combination of jazz and jump blues. He got his old friend, tenor saxophonist

" data-original-title="" title="">Scott Hamilton to help him out with the recording. Although Robillard is primarily known as a blues guitarist, the record made it obvious that jazz is also deeply rooted in his musical DNA. With Swingin' Again, he revisits the jazz world, and he once again teams up with Hamilton to help him out.

Robillard and Hamilton became friends when they were still youngsters growing up in Rhode Island. Like many other musicians, they both had extensive music collections and would frequently get together to jam and listen to records. Unlike many of their peers, however, they weren't listening to much popular music of the day, but rather checking out recordings by jazz and blues players from the 1940s and 1950s. This helped them both develop styles deeply rooted in music from this period.

While Hamilton left Rhode Island in the mid 1970s pursue a career in jazz, Robillard made a name for himself as one of the premiere blues guitarists. He was a founding member of

Roomful of Blues

" data-original-title="" title="">Roomful of Blues and has since established an impressive solo career with his group, The Pleasure Kings. He also spent a few years playing guitar for

The Fabulous Thunderbirds

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">The Fabulous Thunderbirds. But Robillard hasn't limited himself to blues alone, and when it comes to jazz, he can swing with the best. Along with his own work, he's also released jazz records with the

New Guitar Summit

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">New Guitar Summit (featuring Gary Beaudoin and

Jay Geils

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Jay Geils) along with making two impressive albums with jazz guitar legend

Herb Ellis

guitar
1921 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Herb Ellis.

In the meantime, Hamilton has been keeping the classic tenor tradition alive. Although he broke into the jazz scene in the 1970s, during the height of fusion, Hamilton was intent on maintaining the more traditional styles of players like

Ben Webster

saxophone, tenor
1909 - 1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Webster,

Illinois Jacquet

saxophone, tenor
1922 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Illinois Jacquet, and

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

saxophone, tenor
1922 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. As Robillard once said, "Of all the musicians I know, Scott is not just the keeper of the flame, but actually the flame itself."

With Swingin' Again, Hamilton and Robillard rekindle the spirit of classic jazz and jump blues. They are joined by Robillard's band, featuring

Bruce Bears

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Bruce Bears on piano,

Brad Hallen

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Brad Hallen on bass and

Mark Teixeira

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Teixeira on drums along with guest artists,

Jon-Erik Kellso

cornet
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet,

Tim Ray

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Ray piano,

Sugar Ray Norcia

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Sugar Ray Norcia on vocals and

Sunny Crownover

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Sunny Crownover on vocals. The selections included are mostly tried-and-true standards such as "Pennies From Heaven," "I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket" and "One-O'Clock Jump." There are also some less common numbers, such as Claude McLin's "Never Mind" and Vernon White's "Steady Daddy," which was popularized by

Kay Starr

vocals
1922 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Kay Starr in 1948.

Swingin' Again features a tight-knit group of musicians who obviously enjoy playing together. Everyone is in top form, and the guest musicians help to capture the essence of classic recordings while still sounding modern. The overall chemistry among the musicians creates an enjoyable vibe.

The most appealing aspect of this album, however, is the connection between Robillard and Hamilton. They clearly have the type of friendship where they can pick up a conversation where they left off, even if they haven't seen each other in a long time. Although a good deal of time has passed, Swingin' Again seems to recapture the excitement they had playing records and jamming together in Rhode Island. This time, however, the audience is invited to the session. It's almost like listening to some old 78 RPM records, just without any of the pops and scratches.

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Track Listing

I Never Knew; I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket; Never Mind; Steady Daddy; All I Do Is Dream Of You; Blue Lou; Pennies From Heaven; You Can Depend On Me; Esquire Bounce; One O'Clock Jump

Personnel

Scott Hamilton

saxophone, tenor

Duke Robillard

guitar, steel

Bruce Bears

piano

Mark Teixeira

drums

Jon-Erik Kellso

cornet

Brad Hallen

bass, acoustic

Tim Ray

piano

Sugar Ray Norcia

vocals

Sunny Crownover

vocals

Album information

Title: Swingin' Again | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Blue Duchess

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