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Before the jam scene was even called the jam scene, there was Col. Bruce Hampton. This icon began his career in Atlanta, Ga., with his avant-garde rock band Hampton Grease Band. During this time, he established a musical philosophy based on improvisation that has endured the decades.
After solo albums and stints with various bands, Hampton garnered public attention in the early ‘90s along with musicians such as Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band), Jimmy Herring (Widespread Panic) and Jeff Mosier in the Aquarium Rescue Unit. Hampton also acted as one of the founding fathers of the now defunct H.O.R.D.E. (Horizons of Rock Developing Everywhere) tour, which acted as a predecessor for festivals such as Bonnaroo. In his spare time, Hampton appeared in “Sling Blade” and exercised his poetic talents.
Time is not slowing Hampton down, and the proof is found in his latest band, Quark Alliance. Still relying heavily on his avant-garde improvisational philosophy, Hampton has joined forces with seasoned musicians Perry Osborn (guitar), Mark Letalien (drums), Kris Dale (bass) and Jeff Caldwell (guitar). Together, they have released “Give Thanks to Chank” on Brato Granibe Records and are on the road hard and heavy.
When I caught up with Hampton, he was as charming and witty as always, and full of quite a few surprises that might have more than a few people talking including his connections with Susan Tedeschi, his upcoming book of poetry and the resurrection of the legendary H.O.R.D.E. tour.
SC: When you started with your first band back in the ‘60s, where did you picture yourself some 40 years later?
CB: (laughing) I’d be an accountant. I have a degree in accounting, so I thought I’d be an accountant. I didn’t think I’d be around this long, and it’s still mystifying every day.
SC: You were a figure in the jam scene before people even knew that there was one.
CB: I guess we were doing it in the early ‘60s.
SC: What’s your take on the modern jam scene?
CB: I mean, I like to be classified by anyone that’ll have me. Improvisation really started probably, you know, back in New Orleans. Fats Waller was the first band, and then Coltrane and Miles (Davis) in the ‘50s and ‘60s exploded on it. I don’t hear a lot of it, but the jam scene to me means creating a new song every one minute, and what I hear is people just playing in one chord instead of playing an actual musical creation every one second.
SC: You’re currently playing with the Quark Alliance. How did you hook up with all these great musicians like the ones you’re with now?
CB: I never know, man. It’s not a plan. I’m just lucky. I’m just very, very lucky. Just meeting them through the years, you meet some people and they know somebody and somebody knows somebody. It sorta cosmically happens. It all falls into place. It’s never a conscious effort.
SC: How would you compare Quark Alliance’s sound to your previous bands like Aquarium Rescue Unit and the Fiji Mariners?
CB: Well, we always try to play American music whether folk, blues, country or jazz or bluegrass or any of it. It always has an American twist to it: rock-and-roll and everything. So, all the bands have been pretty much the same. We go from pop to avant-garde. We try to cover the whole spectrum of it.
SC: Susan Tedeschi dedicated a song to you, and I see on your debut with Quark Alliance “Give Thanks to Chank” that you have a song called “Susan T,” which I assume is a dedication to her.
CB: Yes, she’s the best singer in the world, I think.
SC: How did you hook up with Susan?
CB: I guess I’ve known Susan 12 or 15 years. She was playing in Atlanta, and a record company president took me down to hear her. I was overwhelmed to say the least. I think that she’s the best singer going right now. Her husband (Derek Trucks) is a pretty good guitar player too. Derek and Susan together are my about my favorite band right now.
SC: You got a solo album coming out in 2008. What can we expect off of that?
CB: It’s pretty much avant-tackle music. Instead of calling it avant-garde, it’s avant tackle. It’s on the other side of the rainbow (laughing). It’s just way out there stuff.
SC: In addition to being a skilled musician, you’re also a skilled poet. I read where you’ve got a book of poetry coming out soon. Can you tell me a little about that?
CB: You know, man, they called me the other day, and I don’t know all the details on it. It should be out in a month or two, and I don’t know any details on it, hardly. My wife’s handling all that. I don’t know the name of the book or what it is. I should know in a week or two, but she’s been handling it.
SC: With all these music festivals popping up all over the place, what’s stopping you from getting back with the boys from Blues Traveler and resurrecting the H.O.R.D.E. Tour?
CB: Nothing is, and there’s been a little bit of talk about it over the past few years, maybe next year, we’re gonna go ahead and do it, I hope. It would be incredible considering, you know, the first one or the first two with Dave Matthews and Widespread and Phish, and all the tickets were like $10 back in those days. I think we need to do it next year, and I know there’s a movie being made about it right now.
Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.
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