May 12, 2023; From the family music treasure chest.
Over these past few years I've shared bits about my grand aunt Margaret the opera singer, and thanks to my work on Ancestry, finding and connecting for the first time with her family back in 2016. My musical second cousins and I have had amazing experiences together, but our musical lives have all been very different.
Aunt Margaret had three daughters, and the youngest one Jane gravitated towards the west coast jazz scene in the 60s. She took the stage name Vicky Hamilton and partnered up with pianist/vocalist Dave Mackay. They recorded three albums in the late 60s, and it seemed like she was really hitting her stride before she died tragically in early 1971, just 42 years old.
Thanks to the internet, I can hear my cousin Jane swing and sing anytime I like. When I was cutting my teeth learning guitar, my dad exposed me to some of the jazz legends - Johnny Smith, Jim Hall, Barney Kessel, and especially Joe Pass. Little did I know that my cousin had recorded an album with Joe Pass on guitar!
Cousin Jane's birthday is coming up on the 15th. Although I never knew her, and only in the last few years learned anything about her, I'm grateful to hear her voice tonight on the Dave and Vicky album Rainbow with Joe Pass playing some perfect accompaniment. Hope you do too!
Their 1969 eponymous debut album featured:
1. Now (Dave Mackay; Vicky Hamilton) 4:54
2. See You Later (Joseph Nunez) 5:20
3. Jacque The Junkman (Vicky Hamilton) 2:39
4. Jersey Bounce (Edward Johnson; Tiny Bradshaw; Bobby Plater; Buddy Feyne; Robert Bruce) 3:47
5. Like Me (Dave Mackay; Vicky Hamilton) 5:35
6. Samba For Vicky (Dave Mackay) 2:59
7. Blues For Hari (Tom Scott; Vicky Hamilton) 5:10
8. Elephant Song (Vicky Hamilton) 3:50
9. Moon Rider (Dave Mackay; Vicky Hamilton) 6:00
10. Here (Dave Mackay) 5:25
Vocals - Vicky Hamilton
Piano & vocals - Dave Mackay
Bass - Ray Neapolitan
Drums & percussion - Joe Porcaro
Flute, piccolo, reeds & saxophone - Ira Schulman
Bongos & congas - Francisco Aguabella
Congas Francisco Aguabella
Percussion Joe Porcaro
Produced by Ed Michel. Recorded at Annex Studio, Hollywood, June 1969
Released Happying in 1970 on Impulse Records
1. Happying (Flip Núnez) 5:09
2. Will O' The Wisp (Vicky Hamilton/Dave MacKay) 2:07
3. If I Ask You (Vicky Hamilton) 7:06
4. 4 Ira (Vicky Hamilton) 1:34
5. See My Rainbow (Vicky Hamilton) 6:23
6. Peek-A-Boo (Vicky Hamilton/Dave MacKay) 3:59
7. Free (Vicky Hamilton / Dave MacKay) 6:14
8. Silent (Dave MacKay) 2:49
9. A Time For Love (Johnny Mandel / Paul Francis Webster) 5:33
10. Reach Out (Vicky Hamilton) 3:33
Vocals - Vicky Hamilton
Vocals, Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Tambourine - Dave Mackay
Electric & Acoustic Guitars -Joe Pass
Flute, Alto Flute, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet - Ira Schulman
Bass - Chuck Domanico
Drums - Colin Bailey
Produced by Dave Wiechman.