Noted for his cool West Coast jazz style, Chico Hamilton was one of the finest jazz drummers in post-war America who performed with major artists such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine, Sammy Davis Jr., and Lester Young; he also worked on films with Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope and helped develop future stars including guitarist Larry Coryell, saxophonist Charles Lloyd and bassist Ron Carter. In the 1950s, with a nickname that referenced his slight stature, he was as big a star as Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan, noted for his graceful and melodic drumming style.
Born in Los Angeles, Hamilton played in a high school jazz band with Dexter Gordon on saxophone and Charles Mingus on bass. From 1948 to 1955, he was a sideman on tour with band leaders such as Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnet and Count Basie and singer Lena Horne. When jazz turned to bebop, he resisted the trend and controversially used strings to augment his sound; but the Chico Hamilton Quintets that he formed in the '50s were hugely popular. His recording debut as band leader, 'Pacific Jazz' in 1955, led to a series of albums and concert performances with bands that he called Players and later Euphoria.
Hamilton's film work included 'The Road to Bali' (1952) with Hope and Crosby, the concert documentary 'Jazz On a Summer's Day' (1957) and the soundtrack of 'Sweet Smell of Success' (1957) starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. He was the subject of another documentary, Julian Benedikt's 'Chico Hamilton: Dancing to a Different Drummer' in 2001. He continued to perform all his life, recording the album 'Joyous Shout!' in 2006 to celebrate his 85th birthday and the album 'Revelation' when he was 90. He died in New York aged 92.
