The Story in Photos.
1940
Three Strikes and
a Miss Quartet.
This is a picture of the
combo featuring Sylvia Anderson (vocalist) and on the front row
from left to right:
Billy Mackel (guitar), Charles Harris (bass), and Howard "Church" Anderson
(pianist). Charles
Harris and Howard Anderson were boyhood friends of my dad.
My dad and Charles Harris
went on to play with Lionel Hampton.
In or about 1948, Charles
Harris left Lionel and went with Nat "King" Cole where he remained
until Mr. Cole's death.
1942
This is a photograph of
the Club Orleans band outside the Club Orleans in 1942. Left to right:
Roy McCoy (trumpet), Billy
Mackel (guitar), Columbus Anderson (bass), Mac Holloway
(piano), Glenn Hennison
(tenor sax), and Arthur Jake Davis (drums). The photo appeared in
the SPECIAL MILLENNIUM COLLECTOR'S
EDITION of the Baltimore Magazine.
1943
Herbie Fields - alto
sax , Buck Bockner - piano, Snookie Young - trumpet, Mannie Albam - baritone
William Mackel - guitar,
Al Hayes - trombone, Charles Harris - bas, Fred Radcliffe - drums. Billy's
Solo
Tax Form, Members of The
Lionel Hampton Band. 1945 October 6. Collection Hans Bebop.
1944
Billy Mackel began playing
for Lionel Hampton in 1944. From that time until he retired from
Hampton's band in 1978,
he played almost exclusively with Hampton. For a brief period
Mackel played for the Billy
Williams, the writer/performer of the song "I'm Going to Sit
Right
Down and Write Myself a Letter." Mackel's last recording with
Hampton was probably
in 1978. Upon
Mackel's retirement from Hampton's band in 1978, Hampton gave him a solid
gold watch with the inscription
"To Mackel, Thanks for a great 32 - Hamp." After Mackel's
retirement, he occasionally
played for and was "featured" by Hampton whenever Hampton
came to the Baltimore, Md.-Washington,
D.C. area.
Mackel's last gig with Hampton
was in 1982. Avon Mackel
1944
He
is omnipresent on Hamp’s "Tempo's
Boogie-"
from October 1944. < Listen.
1945.
Tax Form, Members of The
Lionel Hampton Band. 1945 October 6. Collection Hans Bebop.
1945
1945, Oct.11. Billy and
the Lionel Hampton Band plays in The Adams Theatre, Newark New Jersey.
Collection Hans Bebop.
1945
Withholding Receipt 1945.
Collection Hans Bebop.
Ribs and Hot Sauce: Lionel
Hampton and Billy Mackel.
1945
Billy Mackel and Lionel
Hampton
1946
A photo of Charles
Harris and Billy Mackel when both played with Lionel Hampton's
orchestra. The photo
was taken in or about 1946.
1946-1947
Arnett Cobb, Tenor sax and,
Milt Buckner, Joe Morris, Wendell Culley, George Rhodes,
Charlie Fowlkes, Billy
Mackel, Al King, David Page Listen to:-Jenny
- Walking'
with Sid-
1949
This collage of my dad was
made in or about 1949.
The Lionel Hampton Band
in Sweden. 1953.
ESTRAD: Swedisch Jazz Magazine.
Quincy Jones, Walter Williams,
Clifford Brown, Eddie Mullens, Art Farmer, trumpet.
James Cleveland, Al Hayse,
George Cooper, trombone.
Clifford Scott, Clifford
Solomon, Anthony Ortego, Oscar Estelle, Eddie Pazant, (Replace) Robert
Plater), sax.
Billy
Mackel-guitar, Wm Montgomery-el.bas, George Wallington-piano, Alan
Dawson-drums.
Solisten:Annie Ross en Sonny
Parker- Vocals, Curley "drum boogie" Hammer-drums.
Lionel
Hampton. Vibe, piano, drums and vocals. (
I think, this is good, Hans Bebop).
1953,
September 19
The
first Europa Tour.
The programmebook for this
concert. The Photo is from 1952.
The Orchestra: Quincy Jones,
Walter Williams, Clifford Brown, Eddie Mullens, Art Farmer, trumpet
James Cleveland, Al Hayse,
George Cooper, trombone. Clifford Scott, Clifford Solomon, Anthony
Ortego, Oscar Estelle, Eddie
Pazant (replace Robert Plater), sax. Billy Mackel-guitar,
WM Montgomery-el.bas, George
Wallington-piano, Alan Dawson-drums. Annie Ross and Sonny
Parker- Vocals, Curley"drum
boogie"Hammer-drums.
Lionel Hampton- Leader,
vibraphone, piano, drums and vocals.
The
program: The Chase, How High the Moon,
Perdido, Fine and Dandy, Moonlight on Vermont
Central
Avenue Breakdown, Summertime, Jelly Rol, Body and Soul, Hamp's Boogie Woogie,
Drum
Boogie, Bongo Drums, Lemon Drop, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Midnight
Sun,
The
Final: Flying Home, Hey! Ba-Ba-Rebop, Flying Home 2, Hamp's Boogie
Woogie
(Hey!
Ba-Ba-Rebob). Dutch
Newspaper
The First concert in the
Netherlands. Two guitars ?
The duettists are left William
Billy Mackel on guitar and William Montgomery on electric bass.
1953.
Billy Mackel 1953, Sweden.
Collection: "Carl-Gustaf"
Sweden. Many Jazz Greats on this website and Music. Click
1953,
September 22
--
Germany, Berlin Billy
Mackel, ---------
1953
September 30th - October 4th, 1953
Congress Hall, German Museum in Munich, Germany
1953
Billy Mackel's band pass
for The Lionel Hampton Band
The Jazz Diffussion Club
- Paris, France. 1953, Sept. 27.
1954
Billy Mackel and The Lionel
Hampton Band: Apollo Theatre, Amsterdam The Netherlands.
1955
John William "Billy" Mackel
on guitar and Lionel Hampton drums. 1955
The
most photos on this website have not been publised before. The subtitle
is from
Avon Mackel,
the
son of the late Billy Mackel.
Billy
Mackel as essential to Lionel Hampton as Freddie Green to Count Basie.
1956
1956, March 24--------------------------1956,
March 26. 18PM
--
1956, March 26. 20PM-20---------x
--
The Houtrust Hall, The Hague,
The Netherlands. Flying Home. x
Hans
Bebop
Video
2002, August 31 and 1956, March 26. Dutch
Newspaper (photos) - Two-
1956.
Billy Mackel, left and The
Lionel Hampton Band.
1956
Hot
Club De France
1957
m
Lionel Hampton and Billy
Mackel. August 31.
1957
Signature Billy Mackel and
Lionel Hampton
The Lionel Hampton Big Band
in Deutschland.
' 50
---
Gladys Hampton
? - 29 april 1971: The late Mrs. Gladys Hampton and her dog, Tempo.
Mrs. Hampton gave the photo
to my dad. As you can see from the inscription, see referred
to
him as the ace guitarist
and "spare drummer." I don't know the year the photo was taken.
' 50
Billy
Mackel and Lionel Hampton
The Lionel Hampton Big Band
1958
A photo of my dad weaing
his Lionel Hampton Orchestra uniform. The photo was taken in 1958.
On the costume you see the
initials L H
1958
----
Billy Mackel and Lionel
Hampton: Wiesbaden, Germany, 1958, January 4.
1961
Billy Mackel, Fats Domino,
Al Hirt and Lionel Hampton. The photo was taken in New Orleans,
Louisiana around 1961.
' 60
This
photo of Billy Mackel (upper left) appeared in a 1960 Gibson Guitar catalog.
George
Gobel (lower left) and Bill Haley (lower right) are among the other
noted guitarists shown
on
the page.
' 60
Louis
"Satchmo" Armstrong gave this photo to my parents during the late 1960's.
Avon Mackel
'60:
Left
to Right. Oscar Denard, Piano, Gene Krupa, drums, unknow, bass. Billy
Mackel Guitar.
1964
This photo of Gene Krupa
and Billy Mackel was takenin the early 1960's. Oscar Denard is the
piano player. During a rehearsal
for a television show.
I believe it was the "Ralph
Edwards" show. Avon Mackel
1964
Billy Mackel, Lionel Hampton
and The Gene Krupa Orchestra
1964
I believe this photo was
taken in or about 1964.
1964
The
following is an excerpt from an article by Ron Pataky which appeared in
the December 30, 1964
edition
of the Citizen-Journal:
"Lionel Hampton brings three
holiday gifts to the city. He, in his own right, is a brilliant musician.
Secondly, he is a first-rate
showman who turns all things into fun. And, lastly, he has cushioned
himself with fine musicians.
William
[Billy] Mackel, one of the country's few left-handed guitarists,
is enough to make you wonder
why you're not left-handed."
1964
Monk Montgomery (brother)
of the late Wes Montgomery, Lionel Hampton, and Billy Mackel.
+/-
1965
--
Dinah Washington signature
for Mr. and Mrs. Mackel.
+/-
1965
Billy Mackel right with
Lionel Hampton.
1967
The following is an excerpt
from the August 10, 1967 edition of Down Beat Magazine:
"The calibre of the musicians
he assembled was obviously an inspiration to Hampton...the book
was well calculated to display
their various skills, as well as those of the leader Lionel Hampton
and guitarist Billy Mackel].
Mackel is a great asset. His relaxed, swinging solos help establish
a good groove, and his fills
during the vibes choruses are very valuable. With or against the
ensemble, his playing is
always intelligent and tasteful -- a constant demonstration of the
amplified guitar's potential
in a big band."
+/-
1969
Billy Mackel and
The Lionel Hampton Orchestra
1970
The Lionel Hampton Orchestra
at The White House. Billy Mackel's White House Pass
Signed by Vice-President
Spiro Agnew and President Richard Nixon.
1974
Billy Mackel.
' 70
Billy Mackel and the Lionel
Hampton band. The photo was taken during the 1970's. The conga
player sitting to the right
of Hamp is Dennis Monez from Bermuda. The percussion player standing
the back between Bill and
Hamp is Charlie Gordon (also Hamps personal valet) and the electric bass
player is Eustis Guillamet.
The drummer is unknow. The drummer is Kenny
Bolds: Hans Bebop
Mid
'70
This potho is taken on the
early '70s Lionel Hampton and Billy Mackel.
1976
Lionel Hampton and Billy
Mackel.
1977
Lionel Hampton and Billy
Mackel.
1977
"At Last" 12 inch LP:
1977, May 25th. Barclay Studio.
Billy Mackel guitar, Eddie
Chamblee tenorsax., Milt Buckner organ,
Michel Gaudry bass, Frankie
Dunlop drums.
Side A: Rollin For Virgil
(Billy Mackel). Bluein' the Blues (Mackel). Broadway (H.Woode)
Just You (J.Greer).
Side B: Blues for Joy (Mackel).
Perdido (Juan Tizol). A Bubling Over (Mackel).
1978,
May 4th
Lionel
Hampton and His Giants of Jazz
The
Flint Amerstfoort -The Netherlands. On Dutch TV.
Lionel
Hampton-vibes-piano-drums and vocals, Paul Moen-tenor/altsax, Eddie
Chamblee-
tenor/altsax,
Victor Paz-trumpet, Joe Newman-trumpet, Wild Bill Davis-Hammond Org.
Billy
Mackel-guitar, Frankie Dunlop-drums, Barry Smith-bass. Play(
(Audio).
1978
Billy Mackel and Avon Mackel
This photo of my dad and
me appeared in the November 4, 1978 edition of The Baltimore
Afro-American newspaper.
The caption reads: Mackel with son, Avon on 1978 AFRO visit
holding his newest album
"Mackel..at Last."
2001
January, 31
Lionel
Hampton recently donated one of his vibraphones to the Smithsonian Museum
of
American
History. Listen
to NPR's Susan Stamberg report-
Avon Mackel and Lionel Hampton January 31, 2001 at the
Smithsonian Institute American
History, Washington DC.
Four guitars played primarily
by Billy Mackel during his career with Lionel Hampton
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