Jim Hamilton, drummer/percussionist, has worked with a wide variety of artists from Judith Jamison (Alvin Ailey) to Tony Braxton. He is a founding member of The Spoken Hand Ensemble and Alo Brasil. He has his own percussion group called “The Rhythm Poets” and plays often with Richard Drueding. They have just released a new c.d. called “Smoke”.
“I’ve been playing my whole life. My musical motivation or style is born of my desire to find a commonality between all music’s of the world. Through my own rhythmic expression I’m attempting to blend this multiplicity of musical dialects into a cohesive whole. I believe there is no “pure’ or singular anything in music. It’s always a mixture of something or the something’s that came before it and, as with language, you can pull the syllables apart and see where those individual parts came from. Most of my own work has this singular interest and focus.
For me, creating in ensembles is very much like playing scrabble. The more letters you have the better chance you have of making up new words that reflect your understanding of the language your speaking. In this sense each individual or ensemble has its own unique “culture” and as such, has the potential to influence its surroundings. Art itself is an expression of who we all are.”
Connection to Germantown: Hamilton has lived on Rittenhouse Street for about 25 years, and has welcomed a plethora of notables to his basement recording studio and teaching space, from steel-drum ensembles to spoken-word artist Ursula Rucker.
- 215.704.7098
- Jim@RittenhouseSoundworks.com
Recording company: http://www.tensionrodmusic.com/
Current Projects:
• Barakka- Original Turkish Rock
•The Rhythm Poets
•Richard Drueding
•Ensemble Novo…The New Wave Of Brazilian Music
•Atzilut… Arab and Israeli Traditions, Uniting through Music
•Gina Roche… highly original acoustic music with a Brazilian tinge.
•Fabio Fonseca Trio…with saxophonist Tom Moon.
•Jim Hamilton Tim Motzer Duet
•Global Illage
