Lyrics | Artists | Jimmy Hamilton

Jimmy Hamilton

Born May 25, 1917 in Dillon, South Carolina, Jimmy Hamilton was a jazz clarinetist and saxophonist best known for his work with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he learned to play brass instruments as well as piano. In the 1930s, he was playing brass in local bands before focusing on clarinet and saxophone. He played alongside Lucky Millinder, Bill Doggett, and Jimmy Mundy in 1939 before joining the Teddy Wilson Sextet the following year. He left Wilson’s band in 1942 and played with Yank Porter and Eddie Heywood before replacing Barney Biga...