MUSIC:
Ross Hammond’s Teakayo Mission
Ross Hammond-guitar
Scott Amendola-drums
Lisa Mezzacappa-bass
David Boyce-saxophone
Joaquin Mcpeek-percussion
This record represents a pivotal point for me in my musical progression. I enlisted some of my favorite musicians alive to help me make this record and I believe it came out pretty well, despite the nerves and restless energy expended in putting it together.
”Ross surrounds himself with impeccable musicians who obviously share his joy and belief in this type of jazz. It’s a bold album. It is challenging and intelligent and joyous. I like it very much.”
-Mark Robinson, www.itsajazzthing.com
2007 Prescott Recordings
RACE!!! - Travels
Ross Hammond-guitar
Tony Passarell-saxophone, trumpet
Erik Kleven-bass
Tom Monson-drums
Scott Anderson-saxophone
This is the first RACE!!! record. Recorded in 2004 by Chema Salinas, it features a long, improvised quintet plotting through many different areas of time, space and melody. Pay special attention to the bass lines that bassist/magician Erik Kleven comes up with.
2005 Prescott Recordings
Ross Hammond - Duets
w/ Alecia Sanchez, Randy McKean, Scott Amendola, Shawn Hale, Chris Ferreira, Tom Monson, Lucio Menegon, Alex Jenkins, Phillip Greenlief, Byron Blackburn, Kevin Corcoran, Lisa Mezzacappa, Daid Bole, Vincent DiFiore, Rick Lotter
Recorded throughout 2008, the idea of this project was to record collaborations with some of my favorite musicians in the Sacramento and Bay Area. The record is very eclectic and encompasses many different sounds, moods and textures.
2008 Prescott Recordings
“Ross Hammond is a moody son-of-a-bitch. Simply put, ‘Duets’ is fascinating, truthful and full of wild, yet expertly controlled temperament.”
-Josh Fernandez, Sacramento News and Review, 6/08
Ross Hammond Trio-Sometimes Nocturnal
Ross Hammond-guitar
Tom Monson-drums
Erik Kleven-bass
Recorded in 2005 at the Hangar by Chema Salinas, this is a quasi-electric, quasi-jazz trio session. Guitar sound is a Jazzmaster through a small polytone, and I was starting to get into some more effect-oriented playing. The rhythm section of Tom Monson and Erik Kleven kills. Kills!
2005 Prescott Recordings
The Ni Project
Ross Hammond-guitar,electronics
Alex Jenkins-tabla, electronics
Recorded in late 2005, this record comes from a night session with tabla player Alex Jenkins. There’s some overdubs of vocals and some stylistic layering of found recordings and electronics. I really do like this session. It sounds very raw and it’s pretty aggressive for a guitar and tabla duo.
2006 Evander Music
*Only on iTunes
RACE!!! - “We’re Now in the Evens”
Tony Passarell-saxophone, keys, trumpet
Scott Anderson-saxophone
Ross Hammond-guitar
Tom Monson-drums
Gabe Nelson-bass
This is an hour-long session recorded live on KDVS 90.3FM. The improvised session was edited and divided into individual tracks. I’m very happy with the way the music came out on this one. “Electric MIles Davis meets Brian Eno.”
2008 Prescott Recordings
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Ross Hammond:
An Effective Use of Space
Released 9/04/2009. This record is a mix of solo and trio recordings from the Spring and Summer of 2009. The trio session was recorded by Myles Boisen in Oakland CA, in May 2009. Solo selections were recorded at Studio Wha? in Sacramento.
The cover art was done by Sacramento artist Esteban Villa.
“With aid from Lisa Mezzacappa on bass and John Hanes on drums, the music glides easily between the sleepy and bombastic, sensual and aggressive...”
Rachel Leibrock, Sacramento News and Review
Personnel
Ross Hammond-guitar
Lisa Mezzacappa-bass
John Hanes-drums
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Albums:
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Byron Blackburn:
Things Turn Black When They Burn
Byron Blackburn-bass
Ross Hammond-guitar
Tom Monson-drumset
Alex Jenkins-drumset
After his cancer returned in 2008, Byron Blackburn recorded this album before going into treatment. The music on this record conveys a deep message of hope and joy.
Joined by Ross Hammond (guitar), Tom Monson (drumset) and Alex Jenkins (drumset) Byron recorded his album over 2 separate sessions.
Byron left us in September, 2009 but his spirit lives on through his music.
V Neck
Ross Hammond-guitar
Tom Monson-drumset
A duo project dedicated to Erik Kleven. This was recorded in 2006, the first half of this record was made in Rick Lotter’s Good Dog Studios. The second half is a live performance from The Fillmore, SF.
2006 Evander Music
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Byron Blackburn’s Labor Day Session
Released in May of 2010, this was Byron’s last recording session. It features a group of his friends coming together and making an intense musical statement. Byron passed two weeks after this session. He played brilliantly on this record. He is deeply missed.
Byron Blackburn-bass
Tony Passarell-saxophone
Ross Hammond-guitar
Phillip Greenlief-saxophone
Jaroba-saxophone, bass clarinet
Tom Monson-drumset
This is a duet project with poet and vocalist Lawrence Dinkins. The band’s sound consists of guitar, sometimes looped and turned backwards on itself with other manipulations, and the verses of vocalist/poet Lawrence Dinkins (aka NSAA). Lawrence’s words deal are political, romantic and a call to action. I like this album very much.
Key tracks are “Hot Pursuit,” “Childhood Friend,” “Catastrophe” and “I Will Miss.”
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Ross Hammond:
Ambience, Antiquite and Other Love Songs (2011)
In the past few years I've found myself doing more and more solo gigs and have wanted a record that would represent that music. The idea for this record was spearheaded after a solo concert at Antiquite Maison Privee in Sacramento in November of 2010. That set was recorded live to a 4 track reel-to-reel by Bryce Gonzales and is featured here.
The other songs are a mix of electric and acoustic guitars, mbira, lap steel, bass guitar, drum machines and electronics. More importantly is that while the songs are instrumental, they are all themes to significant pieces of my life. All of the music presented here is like a time capsule in the same way a photograph or journal would be. This collection of music is intended to set moods, tell stories and provide an audio landscape for the joys, losses, humor and romances that life brings. Thanks very much for listening.
This record is dedicated to my daughter Lola.
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