Joyous Shout! is proud to announce that Legendary Jazz Drummer and Bandleader Chico Hamilton will be performing shows in Missoula, MT on November 2nd at The Blue Heron, 140 West Pine Street, Missoula, MT Tel. 406.721.6061and Denver on November 3rd and 4th at Vartan Jazz Club, 1800 Glenarm Place, Denver, CO Tel. 303.399.1111, with his young Euphoria group featuring Cary DeNigris on guitar, Paul Ramsey on bass, Erik Lawrence on alto & soprano saxes and Evan Schwam on tenor sax.

Chico has recently signed a multi-album multi-year recording agreement with Koch Entertainment, and on October 16th and 17th was in the studio cutting his first album for Koch Jazz. This news comes hot on the heals of Chico's blazing shows for a weeklong stint at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, CA, on the Sunnyside Jazz Festival in Tarrytown, NY, the Flint Jazz Festival in Michigan, the JVC Jazz Festival in NYC, the Juneteenth Heritage and Jazz festival in St. Louis, another sold out show at the Wild Rose Café in Bridgehampton, NY on a benefit for WPBX-FM Radio, at Blues Alley in Washington DC as part of the 2000 Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival, and three Friday evening shows in April kicking off the new "Starry Nights: Fridays Under the Sphere at the Rose Center for Earth and Space" Music Series at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.

One of the REAL highlights of '99, was Chico being honored with the Mannes New School "Beacons of Jazz" award in June of '99, in recognition for his "significant contribution to the evolution of jazz." This past July, Chico was a judge in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz's Jazz Composer's Competition.

April '01 will see the release of Chico's debut recording for Koch Jazz, with a session featuring several special guests illustrative of Chico's influence on the music of yesterday, today, and tomorrow!! Confirmed at this time are several former members of Chico's group including alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe, trombonist Steve Turre (and his wife Akua Dixon on cello), and soprano saxophonist Eric Person. Also, confirmed are several former students of Chico's from the Manes New School in NYC who have gone on to successful careers in the industry, including guitarist Eric Schenkman formerly of the Spin Doctors, and lead singer and harmonica slinger John Popper of Blues Traveler. The session will follow up on Chico's "Timely" album released last year, and a long string of recordings for the Soul Note label, including his solo drum recording "Dancing To A Different Drummer" which placed in the "Jazz Album of the Year" category in the 1995 Down Beat Reader's Poll, and his Euphoria group recording "Arroyo" which placed in the "Jazz Album of the Year" category in the 1992 Down Beat Reader's Poll. Chico is now being booked by Jason Franklin, MF Productions, tel. 912.897.5017 and fax. 912.356.2874.

More news coming soon, so stay tuned and catch the vibe!!

Thanks...Peace...Keep the Faith.

Jeffrey