This post is by Dan
Recorded April 17, 1985
Locksley Wellington "Slide" Hampton died Nov. 20, 2021, at age 89. He was active as a bandleader, arranger, composer and trombonist beginning in the 1960s. That was a time when trombones were in vogue, particularly the multi-trombone lineups of J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding. Hampton's articulation is similar to Johnson's - clean single-note phrases that avoid 'bone gimmicks such as smears, plungers and mutes.
Roots is another superb Criss Cross recording out of Studio 44 in Monster, Holland, produced by Gary Teekens and recorded by Max Bolleman. The album includes "Solar" by Miles Davis, "Precipice" by Clifford Jordan, "Maple Street" by Cedar Walton, and the title piece composed by Hampton. Despite Hampton's prowess as an arranger, these tunes all receive simple arrangements designed to focus on the solos by all five artists.
To these ears, "Maple Street" offers the most dramatic structure with its partially out-of-tempo theme and eerie piano fills. This is followed by a full set of excellent solos: Walton first, followed by Jordan's strongest solo on the date. I love how his burly tone conveys both intellect and emotion. Another highlight of "Maple Street" is Walton's comping behind David Williams' bass solo, effectively echoing the opening theme. Billy Higgins then shows how musical a drum solo can be. After solos from all, the suspended-tempo theme returns to close out an exceptional album.
On the CD version, there are four bonus tracks, only one of which ("Precipice") is an alternative take of the LP version. This seems like a good reason to investigate the digital version, which I have not heard.
Careful inspection of the cover photo reveals Hampton holding the mouthpiece of his trombone with his right hand and his left hand on the slide. This is not a misprint. Hampton was indeed a left-handed trombonist.
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