Lionel Hampton-You Better Know It!!! (1964)

Lionel Hampton was a virtuoso jazz vibraphonist, as well as a talented drummer, pianist, and singer facets perfectly complemented by his spectacular stage presence. Born in 1909, he rose to prominence as a member of the orchestras of Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman during the 1930s and 40s. In the mid-1940s, Hampton formed his own big band, achieving immense popularity and featuring many of jazz's greatest musicians, including Wes Montgomery, Fats Navarro, Charles Mingus, and Dexter Gordon. His immense popularity led him to continue leading his own orchestras well into the 1990s. During the 1950s, with his vibrant orchestras, he recorded some of the finest jazz and rhythm and blues tracks ever made. From the 1950s onward, he dedicated himself to sharing his music throughout Japan, Australia, the Middle East, and countless other countries around the world. In the 1960s, despite the decline of big bands, he continued touring the world, performing at numerous jazz festivals. Throughout his life, Hampton was actively involved in the construction of many public housing projects and founded the Lionel Hampton Development Corporation, contributing to the development of affordable housing across the United States. A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, among many other accolades, Hampton passed away on August 31, 2002, at the age of 94.