Slide Hampton was a fine trombonist and arranger from the start of his career in the mid-'50s, keeping the tradition of bop alive in both his playing and his writing. After working with Buddy Johnson (1955-1956) and Lionel Hampton, he became an important force in Maynard Ferguson's excellent big band of 1957-1959. He led octets in the '60s with such sidemen as Freddie Hubbard and George Coleman. After traveling to Europe with Woody Herman in 1968, Hampton settled overseas where he stayed very active. After returning to the U.S. in 1977, he led his World of Trombones (which features nine trombonists), played in a co-op quintet called Continuum, and was involved in several Dizzy Gillespie tribute projects, and released albums for Telarc in the '90s. Slide Hampton died on November 18, 2021 in Orange, New Jersey; he was 89 years old. ~ Scott Yanow