Festival ends on high note

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Saturday night's concert at the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival was one long crescendo.

It began softly and ended with a bang.

Saturday was a night of celebration - of jazz, of big bands and of the festival's 42nd year. For many, it also was a night to reminisce.

Pianist Eldar Djangirov opened the performance. He first came to the festival nine years ago as a student musician and has been back four or five times, but had to miss the past few years.

"So I'm happy (to be back)," he said. "Really happy."

The night concluded with a performance by the Lionel Hampton Big Band, of which many members played with Hampton for years. The band only comes together a few times each year, so the annual trip to the Palouse is something of a reunion for many members.

Trumpeter Anibal Martinez has been playing with the band for about a decade. Out of that time, his most memorable year was the last year that Hampton was alive and playing with the band.

Martinez remembers Hampton's loyalty to his band.

"He always rode the bus," Martinez said. "He always wanted to be with his guys."

He said people would always offer Hampton a limousine or other luxury vehicle, but he always said "no, no, no, no" and boarded the bus with his band.

Current band director Cleave Guyton said Hampton presided over the band with an "iron fist."

Guyton, who's been with the band for two decades, remembered one concert in Europe when Hampton was told he had to be off the stage by 10 p.m. or face a hefty fine.

"So 10 o'clock came, and the band was on a high note," Guyton said. They started signaling Hampton off the stage, but he wouldn't stop playing.

Then organizers tried to close the curtain on the band, but Hampton stuck a hand out to hold the curtain open and kept playing with the other.

Guyton doesn't remember whether the band had to pay the fine, He just remembers waiting for Hampton's OK to end the show.

"I don't care if the president of the United States told you to stop (playing), you didn't stop until you heard, 'OK boys,' " Guyton said. "They don't make people like that anymore."

Groups of artists sat around tables backstage Saturday, telling stories of Hampton's personality and generosity.

"He kept me from cracking," said Tony Barrero, a trumpeter who's been with the band since 1988. "He kept my ass out of jail."

Rose Neely remembers Hampton passing out money and treats to children he met backstage.

She's been involved with the festival for 33 years in a hosting capacity and has known some members of the big band for 20 years.

"I've been here forever," she said backstage Saturday night. "It's my claim to fame and longevity, I guess."

The bands used to get ready in locker rooms in Memorial Gym, where Neely delivered cold cuts to the musicians and "stitched up britches" as needed.

Neely used to greet Hampton at the airport when he arrived, and send him off again when the festival had ended.

She'd also deliver home-cooked meals to his hotel room, though she suspects he'd wheedled more than one person into that tradition.

"He had a certain charm about him," she said with a laugh.

Neely said she loves "everything" about the festival, and always starts to feel a little sad at the end knowing she won't see the musicians again for another year.

"I love what I do," she said. "I'll probably die before I give it up."

She said she thinks many of the artists feel the same way.

"One of the things that the artists who come here (feel), is they feel like they're coming home," Neely said. "I've heard that many, many times."

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.