Lionel Hampton began to make a name for himself by being one-quarter of the famous Benny Goodman Quartet with Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa. He remained there for four years before starting his own big band, especially famous during the forties. Recordings like "Flying Home," "How High the Moon," and "Hey-Baba-Re-Bop" served as a foundation for Hampton"s world fame. The band on this particular album was, like all its successors, rather short-lived. However, Europe was fortunate enough to enjoy a first extended tour marking the presence of artists like Gigi Gryce, Clifford Brown, Art Farmer, Quincy Jones, and Jimmy Cleveland, all of them crack players on the verge of their own fame. A serious, long-awaited document of a giant musician-memories are made of this!