Anne Seidlitz collection on Hampton Hawes

Overview

Hampton Barnett Hawes Jr. (1928-1977) was a Black American jazz pianist best known as a member of the West Coast jazz scene. He was born on November 13th, 1928, in Los Angeles, California. His father, Hampton Hawes Sr., was a pastor. His mother, Gertrude Holman Hawes, played piano for her husband's church. Hawes' first childhood exposure to the piano was through his mother, although he later taught himself how to play while still quite young. His career as a professional pianist began when Hawes was only 16. Over the next several years, Hawes performed with some of the leading jazz musicians on the West Coast, including Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers, and Teddy Edwards. By 1952, when his two-year stint in the army had begun, Hawes had a thriving career as a jazz pianist. He continued his career in jazz after the end of his time in the Army and recorded a series of albums for Contemporary Records.

In 1958, Hawes' career came to a halt when he was arrested and sent to prison for possession of heroin. In 1962, he applied for a Presidential pardon, which he ultimately received in August of 1963. Over the following decade, he recorded eighteen albums and toured and performed frequently until his death in 1977.

Overview

Anne Seidlitz (1960-) is a writer who has worked for many years in documentary film, with projects broadcast on television and released theatrically. She received a B.A. in English from Barnard College in 1983 and an M.A. in literature from New York University in 1993. Since 1995, Seidlitz has worked as a film writer. Her work focuses on American history and culture, especially that of Black Americans. Starting in 2007 Anne began looking into the life of Hampton Hawes for a film project, the genesis of her collection on Hawes, which then led to additional research for a forthcoming book on Hawes' life and music. Seidlitz lives in Hudson, New York.