Friday Night Jazz with Rich Tozier plays selections from the historic 1955 collaboration between Lionel Hampton, Nat Adderley and David Amram as they jammed with some great French jazz musicians.

Paris was always great to Lionel Hampton -- but it seemed like in the mid 50s, he cut some of his best work of the decade in the city! This set features a great batch of track that Hamp cut in the company of travelling American jazz greats like Benny Bailey, Nat Adderley, and David Amram, plus some crack French players like Rene Urtreger, Sacha Distel, and Guy Pederson. The tracks are simple jamming numbers -- long and open-ended, in the mode of some of Hamp's very popular live work at the time. The vibes are right out front -- hard-edged, with that soulful sound that Hamp pioneered on the instrument -- and the other players are given very ample room to solo. Titles include "Voice Of The North", "A La French", and "Zebu.”