Joyous Shout! would like to send out WARMEST WISHES for an AWESOME Holiday Season from our family to each of yours, and also take this opportunity to set the tone for Legendary Jazz Drummer & Bandleader Chico Hamilton's 2002, by giving you a quick roundup of a hectic 2001!!

June '01 saw the release of Chico's debut recording for Koch Jazz (www.kochentertainment.com), FORESTSTORN. The new album features Chico's young "Euphoria" group with Cary DeNigris on guitar, Paul Ramsey on bass, Erik Lawrence on alto and soprano sax, and Evan Schwam on tenor sax, as well as Special Guest Appearances from Former Bandmembers Arthur Blythe, Steve Turre and his wife Akua Dixon, Eric Person, former Spin Doctors guitarist Eric Schenkman (a former student of Chico's), Blues Traveler front man John Popper (also a former student of Chico's), and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones. Setting up the album in May '01 was Chico being featured on the hour long NPR Jazz Profiles series, hosted by Nancy Wilson. FORESTSTORN has received rave reviews from around the world, debuted at #32 on the Gavin Jazz Chart and peaked at #13 on the Yellow Dog Jazz Chart, and November saw MAJOR features on Chico in Down Beat, Jazz Times and Modern Drummer. Here's a sampler from Modern Drummer:

http://www.moderndrummer.com/updatefull.asp?alt=100000854

Chico and his young "Euphoria" group were working steadily behind FORESTSTORN all year long starting off discreetly performing a benefit for the New School Jazz Vanguard Program on 1/17; then performing in the Main Room at the Knitting Factory 4/2 a show which was shot for the BET on Jazz TV show "Live at the Knitting Factory" (www.knittingfactory.com/television/); performing the Grand Opening of Cafe Rouge in Sedona, AZ 5/25th, 26th, & 27th; another show in the main room at the Knitting Factory 7/15 which was cybercast via the www; a string of shows for Jazz Forum in Westchester, on the City Hall Steps in Mt. Vernon 7/31, Waterfront Park in Dobbs Ferry 8/1, Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow 8/2, and Recreation Pier in Yonkers 8/3; performing on the First Annual Montauk Jazz Festival at Montauk Downs 8/4; Koch Jazz Record Release Celebration at Joe's Pub in NYC 10/16; and culminating in two SOLD OUT shows on the Free Jazz Festival Rio de Janeiro 10/25 and Sao Paulo 10/26. For a taste of the Chico Hamilton & Euphoria experience:

http://www.jazzreview.com/corners277.html

One of the TRUE live performance highlights of 2001 was Chico tearing down the house on the Out-Of-Doors Festival at Lincoln Center 8/17 on a 80th Birthday Program titled "My Funny Valentine- A Tribute to Chico Hamilton" with VERY Special Guest Appearances by Joe Beck, Arthur Blythe, Larry Coryell, Akua Dixon, Rodney Jones, and Eric Person in front of an audience estimated at 2300!!

Chico closed out the year with a series of East Coast IN STORE appearances for Borders Bookstore, performing solo on his drum kit, interacting with the audience, and signing copies of his FORESTSTORN CD!! These appearances took place in Washington, DC, Columbia, MD, Wynnewood, PA, White Plains, NY, and Boston, MA, and were supported by on air interviews at WEAA-FM Radio in Baltimore, WITR-FM Radio in Philadelphia, and both WERS-FM Radio and WGHB-FM Radio in Boston. A fair amount of major coverage was received in the respective cities such as this full page article in the Boston Herald:

http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/chic11142001.htm

And for 2002 there are many things in store: HEAVY touring activities are in the works starting in late Winter; Spring '02 will bring Chico and his young "Euphoria" group featured in an advertising campaign for Macanudo cigars and a variety of public events in support of the ad campaign, dubbed Jazz Macanudo; the New Year will see a variety of online promotions ongoing thru the first three months of 2002, including online chats and a live cybercast; in the works is the possibility of a remix promotional single of various tracks from FORESTSTORN from a DJ'ing LEGEND, to keep up the interest internationally for the FORESTSTORN album; and lastly, we are putting together a NICE lobbying campaign to see if we can get Chico his first Grammy nomination in his 80th year!!

STAY TUNED IN 2002 FOR THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF CHIC, CHIC, CHICO!!

Chico Hamilton is booked worldwide exclusively by Concerted Efforts:
Tel: 617.969.0810
Fax: 617.969.6761
Email: concerted@concertedefforts.com
Website: www.concertedefforts.com

Once again, WARMEST WISHES for an AWESOME Holiday Season from our family to each of yours!!

More soon.

Thanks.

Peace.

Keep the Faith.

Jeffrey