Joyous Shout! is HAPPY to announce that Legendary Jazz Drummer and Bandleader Chico Hamilton will be finishing off a HECTIC 2000 with a TRIO! performance at a private party for his friends the Picot's and Cecile Giraud at La Bonne Soupe, 48 West 55th Street, NYC. Chico's 2001 will start off discreetly performing a benefit for the New School Jazz Vanguard Program on January 17th at the 24 Fifth Avenue Ballroom, NYC, 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.

Spring '01 will see the release of Chico's debut recording for Koch Jazz, FORESTSTORN. The new album features several special guests illustrative of Chico's influence on the music of yesterday, today, and tomorrow!! In the studio with Chico this past October were 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 present was a former student of Chico's from the New School Jazz program in NYC who has gone on to a successful career in the industry- guitarist Eric Schenkman, formerly of the Spin Doctors. Adding his part in London earlier this month was Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones. More information on this upcoming release will be publicized shortly. 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.

2000 was a HECTIC year for Chico and his young EUPHORIA group with blazing shows out West at the Blue Heron in Missoula, MT and Vartan's in Denver, CO, at The Priory Jazz Space in Newark, NJ, 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 New School "Beacons of Jazz" award, 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.

Stay tuned for the FURTHER ADVENTURES OF CHIC, CHIC, CHICO IN 2001!!

Chico is now being booked by Jason Franklin, MF Productions, tel. 912.897.5017 and fax. 912.356.2874.

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

Jeffrey