Scott Hammond (musician)

Scott Hammond (born 4 June 1973) is an English drummer. He plays with Ian Anderson[1] (the leader and frontman of British Rock band Jethro Tull) and has also toured and recorded with Jethro Tull itself.[2] He has been described as a "Jazz drummer with rock influences".[3]

Scott Hammond
Hammond performing in 2024
Hammond performing in 2024
Background information
Born (1973-06-04) 4 June 1973 (age 51)
Bristol, England
Genres
OccupationMusician
InstrumentDrums
Years active1996–present
Member of
Websitewww.scotthammond.co.uk

Early years

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Hammond was born in Bristol, England, UK. He started to learn the drums when he was 14 years old[4] and later studied at The City of Leeds College of Music for three years, and also with Dave Hassell for two years.

Ian Anderson

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Since April 2010 Hammond has primarily been touring internationally with Ian Anderson, rock flautist of Jethro Tull.[5] Recordings with Ian Anderson have included Thick As a Brick 2[6] album (released in April 2012) - the sequel to Jethro Tull's 1972 album Thick As A Brick.[7] Hammond's touring with the band has included the "Thick As A Brick" 2012/13 world tour, the 2014/15 Homo Erraticus world tour, Jethro Tull - The Rock Opera and Jethro Tull's 50th Anniversary tour in 2018.[8]

 
Scott Hammond playing live in USA with Ian Anderson 2010

Jethro Tull

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In March 2011 Hammond toured with Jethro Tull in Ireland. This tour featured Martin Barre on guitar, David Goodier on bass, John O'Hara on keyboards and Ian Anderson on flute, guitar and vocals. From 2017 he is in a new line-up of Jethro Tull.

Hammond said in an interview: "I wouldn't describe myself as a prog rock drummer although it's obviously a part of what I do. My rock roots are based in bands like Deep Purple although I have always enjoyed listening to Jethro Tull's Minstrel in the Gallery since I was a teenager."[9]

In the book "The Ballad of Jethro Tull", Hammond said "What attracted me (to Jethro Tull) was the variation in dynamics and the quirky arrangements. It was exciting."[10]

Hammond's first studio album with Jethro Tull, The Zealot Gene, was released on 28 January 2022.[11] He also played on Jethro Tull's 23rd album RökFlöte which was released on April 21, 2023.

Freelance career

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The majority of Hammond's working life has been jazz and funk based. He plays very regularly with his own band JINGU BANG and also with the jazz organ trio The Hopkins-Hammond Trio. Other artists he has worked with include Ruth Hammond, Bruce Dickinson, Greg Lake, Justin Hayward, Tina May, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Herb Geller, Bobby Wellins, Pee Wee Ellis, Phil King and Limahl. More recently Hammond has featured on four albums by UK based trumpeter Ben Thomas[12] with Thomas & Muse.[13]

Hammond was voted 5th best rock drummer in the world in the 2022 MusicRadar Awards (public vote) [14]

Discography

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Year Artist Title Type Label Peak chart position
US UK Germany
2002 Ruth Hammond All The Good Things[15] Studio Album Tenterhook Records
2006 Gary Bamford JADJ[16] Studio Album Kintu Records
2006 The Forster King Band Keep The Music Playing Studio Album Unsigned
2007 Ilya Somerset Studio Album CDBY
2008 Azhar Saffar Out There Studio Album 33 Jazz
2008 Denny Ilett Calling The Children Home Studio Album Nugene
2009 Phil King They Come And They Go Studio Album Ragtag Records
2009 Thomas & Muse[17] We All Fall Down[18] Studio Album mtheart
2011 Thomas & Muse[17] Dark Scrawls[19] Studio Album safehouse
2011 Colman Brothers[20] Another Brother 7" single Wah Wah 45s
2011 Colman Brothers Colman Brothers Studio Album Wah Wah 45s
2012 Ian Anderson Thick As a Brick 2[21] Studio Album Chrysalis/EMI Records 55 35 13
2013 Thomas & Muse Within This World Within My Mind Studio Album Safe House
2014 Ian Anderson Homo Erraticus[22] Studio Album Kscope 14 13
2014 Ian Anderson Thick as a Brick - Live in Iceland[23] Live Album Eagle Records
2015 Thomas & Muse Dead Horses and Divorces Studio Album Safe House
2018 Gary Alesbrook Jazz In The Movies Studio Album Gary Alesbrook
2022 Jethro Tull The Zealot Gene Studio Album InsideOutMusic 10 9 4
2023 Jethro Tull RökFlöte Studio Album InsideOutMusic 24 17 4

References

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  1. ^ "Ian Anderson - Banker Bets, Banker Wins - Official Video". Youtube.com. 10 December 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Biography at the Official Jethro Tull Website". J-tull.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  3. ^ Thomas, Wolfgang; Kevin Thomas (2012). Jethro Tull Over Germany. Siegen rock Museum. p. 244. ISBN 978-3-00-037254-4.
  4. ^ "Scott Hammond's personal website". Scotthammond.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  5. ^ "Jethro Tull Board". Thejethrotullboard.proboards.com. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  6. ^ "Thick as a Brick 2 article on davidsmith.com". Daviddesmith.com. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  7. ^ "Rockonnection Article". Rockonnection Article. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  8. ^ "Scott Hammond's drum solo on a concert of the Thick As A Brick 2012 tour". Youtube.com. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Jethro Tull Board Interview". Thejethrotullboard.proboards.com. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  10. ^ The Ballad of Jethro Tull - Rocket88 Books
  11. ^ "Pre-order the New Jethro Tull album "The Zealot Gene"" (Press release). Jethro Tull. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Ben Thomas Website". safehouse. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  13. ^ "Thomas & Muse website". safehouse. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  14. ^ The no.1 website for musicians, musicradar (6 December 2022). "World's best rock drummer 2022". musicradar. Retrieved 6 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "All The Good Things album". Ruthhammond.com. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  16. ^ "JADJ". JADJ. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Thomas & Muse". Thomas & Muse. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  18. ^ "We All Fall Down". mtheart. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Dark Scrawls". safehouse. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  20. ^ Colman Brothers Archived 9 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "Press Release - Thick As A Brick 2" (Press release). England: Prnewswire.com. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  22. ^ "Homo Erraticus". England: jethrotull.com. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  23. ^ "Thick As a Brick - Live in Iceland". England: jethrotull.com. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.