Hamer, Ian (11th September 1932-3rd September 2006)

He was a jazz trumpeter, composer and arranger born Ian Wilfred Hamer in Liverpool, England to a family where his father was a bandleader, his brother Stuart was a drummer and brother George was a clarinettist.

He performed in a band with his brothers in Mrs. Wilf Hamer’s Band at the Grafton Ballroom in Liverpool which was run by his mother until entering the Royal Air Force for his National Service. After his service, in 1953, he went to London and worked for the clarinettist Carl Barriteau as well as a short time with the Oscar Rabin Band in 1954. Two years later, in 1955, he performed with the Tubby Hayes Octet before becoming a member of the Vic Ash Quintet. In 1957 he married Veronica Spinks and had three children before their marriage was dissolved.

The 1960s came around and he led The Six Sounds with Harry South which featured Dick Morrissey and Ken Wray. By 1966 it had become the Ian Hamer Sextet and featured an array of musicians that included Alan Branscombe, Keith Christie, Bill Eyden, Tubby Hayes, Kenny Napper, Alan Skidmore and Barbara Thompson among others.

At the same time he became a member of the Top of the Pops studio orchestra, remaining with them for 20 years, as well as performing with several other bands. He performed in bands with artists and bandleaders that included John Dankworth, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Ted Heath, Woody Herman, Jack Parnell, Stan Tracey, Lalo Schifrin and Kenny Wheeler along with many others.

He was often called as a session musician in the studio and performed on recordings by acts that included Lionel Bart, Shirley Bassey, The Beatles where he played the brass parts of “Got To Get You Into My Life” , Bing Crosby, Tom Jones, James Last, John Mayer, Matt Munro and Phil Woods as just some of many and played on the theme tune of the popular TV series The Sweeney.

Recordings he performed on are many and a select few include his own Acropolis along with Eleven Sides of Baker by Ginger Baker, “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” by Petula Clark, In Hoagland by Georgie Fame, 100% Proof and Without a Song: Rare Live Recordings 1954-1973 by Tubby Hayes, Etudes by John Mayer, The Songbook by Harry South, the original cast recording of Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice and Song for Someone by Kenny Wheeler.

He retired to Brighton in 1987 and got re-married to Marion Stedman in 1988. Around that time he formed the Sussex Youth Jazz Orchestra.

He died of a heart attack in Brighton, England, when he was 73 years old.

The Beatles Recordings
Got to Get You Into My Life (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
Capitol, 4274, S45-X45624 (US 45 PS)

Sources:

Hamer, Ian (11th September 1932-3rd September 2006)

Navigation