Lionel Hampton essentially invented the vibraphone as a jazz solo instrument, bringing it out of the swing-era rhythm section and into the spotlight with the 1942 big-band showcase 'Flying Home.' A dynamic bandleader and percussionist who worked alongside Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, and Quincy Jones across decades, Hampton's showmanship and rhythmic drive defined the vibraphone's vocabulary for generations of players. Every jazz vibraphonist who followed, including Milt Jackson and Roy Ayers, worked in the space he opened up.

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1942

Flying HomeLionel Hampton