Col. Bruce Hampton is not a military officer – he wasn’t even in the military. He is not a success by some standards. He is, however, one of the South’s premier avant garde music artists and will bring his jazz-fusion, bluegrass, Latin, blues and country music to Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern Saturday night.In 1963, Hampton was a founding member of Atlanta’s Hampton Grease Band. The Hampton Grease Band was to the Southern music scene in those days what Marilyn Manson is to modern music – over the top. The Hampton Grease Band played with Southern rock contemporaries The Allman Brothers Band and Black Oak Arkansas among others. All the while it gained notoriety alongside critically acclaimed bands for its outrageous stage antics and cutting edge, explorative music.
Soon, as record labels were scrambling to sign every Southern rock band they could as The Allman Brothers Band rocketed to success, the Hampton Grease Band got signed to Columbia Records. Its following album, Music To Eat, was one of the worst-selling records in the label’s history. Despite the lack of success, the band went down in the annals of Southern music as one of the most infamous. After a brief stint on Frank Zappa’s label, the band broke up. Over the years, Music To Eat gained a cult following and was subsequently re-released in 1996.
Hampton later moved on to create a jazz-fusion group, The Aquarium Rescue Unit, which garnered some acclaim for the two albums the band put out. The band also was part of creating the Horizons Of Rock Developing Everywhere tour of the early 1990s along with jam bands such as Blues Traveler, Phish and Widespread Panic. While on the H.O.R.D.E. tour, Aquarium Rescue Unit was one of the more highly-acclaimed acts on the nationwide tour.
Hampton is currently touring with his newest musical project, Col. Bruce and the Quark Alliance. The band is made up of Hampton, Jeff Caldwell on guitar and vocals, bassist Kris Dale and drummer Mark Letalien.
The caliber of musicians in the band along with Hampton’s songwriting and singing make for an all-star lineup. Caldwell, who went to the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles, graduated with Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, and Dale recorded the intro music to the Adult Swim cartoon “Squidbillies.”
The band is touring behind its latest album Give Thanks To Chank.
Hampton describes his music as “country music – just not sure what country.” Sometimes his music is clearly jazz influenced or blues or rock and sometimes it’s purely Hampton.
“[Hampton’s music] is American music. We just try to play all types of American music as long as it’s pure,” he said.
For Hampton, purity of music is what moves him.
“Some of my favorite musicians are the blues greats like Muddy Waters and Son House, which are from Mississippi. They sang about life being hard and rough,” he said.
“The message in their music is timeless and long after I’m gone people will be listening to it. That’s what’s great about pure music.”
Hampton’s current playlist reflects timeless music. Hampton said he listens to blues and bluegrass from the 1920s until the late 1960s. Even some Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, Sr. make it onto his personal playlist along with what he describes as “classical Indian music.”
Along with music moving Hampton, it’s also what keeps him going after a lifetime on the road.
“I still love it, and I’ve been doing it 44 years. From Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall to the smallest honky-tonk in Arkansas, I’ve played them,” Hampton said.
“I love it. We’re having a great time out here.”
Tavern owner Dave Hood said having a performer like Hampton at his venue is an honor.
Col. Bruce Hampton & The Quark Alliance will take the stage at Dave’s Saturday at 10 p.m.