Top Picks
Hampton Hawes: Hamp’s Piano, Saba/MPS. Eberhard Weber, bass. This rare, critically ignored recording contains probably the finest Straight-ahead performances bassist Weber ever recorded.
Hampton Hawes Trio
Blues for Bud, Black Lion. Jimmy Woode, bass; Art Taylor, drums
Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes, The Trio, Vol. 3, Contemporary. Red Mitchell, bass; Chuck Thompson, drums
Hampton Hawes, The Trio, Vol. 1, OJC/Contemporary, Red Mitchell, bass; Chuck Thompson, drums
Memorial Album, Xanadu. Joe Mondragon or Red Mitchell, bass; Larry Bunker, Shelly Manne or Chuck Thompson, drums
Hampton Hawes Quartet
All Night Session, Vols. 1-3, OJC/Contemporary. Red Mitchell, bass; Jim Hall, guitar; Bruz Freeman, drums
Hampton Hawes!!!! Four!, OJC/Contemporary. Red Mitchell, bass; Barney Kessel, guitar; Shelly Manne, drums
Charlie Haden-Hampton Hawes Duo: As Long as There’s Music, Verve.
Bud Shank-Bill Perkins Quintet: Bud Shank and Bill Perkins, Blue Note. Red Mitchell, bass; Mel Lewis, drums. This CD contains a bonus Hawes trio track, “I Hear Music,” with Mitchell and Lewis, a far superior drummer than Hawes normally appeared with, and also additional tracks with other personnel.
Superior
Hampton Hawes Trio
Green Leaves of Summer, OJC/Contemporary. Monk Montgomery, bass; Steve Ellington, drums
Here and Now, OJC/Contemporary. Chuck Israels, bass; Donald Bailey, drums
Live at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Vol. 1, Enja. Cecil McBee, bass; Roy Haynes, drums
This Is Hampton Hawes, The Trio, Vol. 2, OJC/Contemporary. Red Mitchell, bass; Chuck Thompson, drums
Hampton Hawes All-Stars: Live at Memory Lane, Fresh Sound. Teddy Edwards, tenor sax; Sonny Criss, alto sax; Harry Edison, trumpet; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Big Joe Turner, vocals
Charles Mingus Trio: Mingus Three, Blue Note. Dannie Richmond, drums
Art Pepper Quartet
Early Show: A Night at the Surf Club, Vol. 1, Xanadu. Joe Mondragon, bass; Larry Bunker, drums, vibes
Late Show: A Night at the Surf Club, Vol. 2, Xanadu. Joe Mondragon, bass; Larry Bunker, drums, vibes
Living Legend, OJC/Contemporary. Charlie Haden, bass; Shelly Manne, drums
Wardell Gray Quintet: Live at the Haig, Xanadu. Art Farmer, trumpet; Joe Mondragon, bass; Shelly Manne, drums
Warne Marsh Quartet: Live in Hollywood, Xanadu. Joe Mondragon, bass; Shelly Manne, drums
Red Mitchell Quintet/Trio: Red Mitchell, Bethlehem. Joe Maini Jr., alto sax; Conte Candoli, trumpet; Chuck Thompson, drums
Shorty Rogers and His Giants: Shorty Rogers and His Giants, RCA. Art Pepper, alto sax; Jimmy Giuffre, tenor sax; Milt Bernhart, trombone; Joe Mondragon, bass; Shelly Manne, drums
Excellent
Hampton Hawes Trio
At the Piano, OJC/Contemporary. Ray Brown, bass; Shelly Manne, drums
High in the Sky, Fresh Sound. Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Donald Bailey, drums
I’m All Smiles, OJC/Contemporary. Red Mitchell, bass; Donald Bailey, drums
The Séance, OJC/Contemporary. Red Mitchell, bass; Donald Bailey, drums
Hampton Hawes Quartet: For Real, OJC/Contemporary. Harold Land, tenor sax; Scott LaFaro, bass; Frank Butler, drums
Hampton Hawes Quartet-Freddie Redd Trio: Piano: East/West, OJC/Prestige. Larry Bunker, vibes; Larance Marable, drums. Although Hawes performs only a brief half of this CD, this material is worth hearing for its Blues orientation.
Sonny Rollins Quintet: Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders, OJC/Contemporary. Barney Kessel, guitar; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Shelly Manne, drums, and Victor Feldman, vibes added briefly