Lionel Hampton is the man who made the vibraphone safe for jazz. He is also the only major jazz instrumentalist to be active in nine decades, from the 1920s (he first recorded in 1929) all the way into the new millennium. His career is filled with highlights, but this date from 1954 is one of his best.

On the surface, the combination of clarinet, vibraphone, and rhythm recalls Hampton’s work with the classic Benny Goodman small groups of the 1930s. But this is not simply a recreation of past glories. It is a timeless no-holds-barred jam session, featuring extended solos, duels, and jousts, with Hampton supported by an amazing ensemble that has a personality all its own: Buddy DeFranco, the foremost jazz clarinetist of the modern era, and the driving rhythm section of Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, and Buddy Rich.

Original recordings produced by Norman Granz.  Recorded April 1954 at Fine Sound, New York City: track 4 on April 12; tracks 1–3 and 5–8 on April 13.  Tracks 1–4 original-LP issue: The Lionel Hampton Quintet Clef MGC-628.  Tracks 5–8 original-LP issue: The Lionel Hampton Quintet Album #2 Clef MGC-642.