I nominated Najee for the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award that he received that night, so I was in attendance for the ceremony. Najee and his band were delivering the high-level performance you would expect from an artist of his caliber.
The crowd enjoyed every moment of the him cert, but Najee had a special guest, Ellis Hamil ton, sit in with the band to perform. When Ellis blew the first note on his sax, he caught my attention. From the first note to the last note, it was pure energy. I thought to myself he MUST be physically fit in order to blow that horn as enthusiastically as he did AND keep the audience hyped as he physically moved around on stage. He brought a special energetic element to the stage that night that was simply unmatched. After the show, I had to meet this young man, so I went backstage to find him. I introduced myself as he greeted me with the warmest of smiles. I complimented then took his contact information because I KNEW this young man was destined for greatness and that I’d want to interview him in the near future. Now, here we are, less than one year later, Ellis is at the top of the charts and I'm interviewing him! Put on your seatbelts and get ready to ride this journey with him because you'll definitely want a seat on the "Ellis train!"
I've included a special treat in this article. Not only did I interview Ellis, but I've included dialogue with his parents (Caryn and Lance Hamilton), Najee and Barry Eastmond. I hope you enjoy getting to know Ellis through this interview as much as I did!
SJM: Ellis thank you for joining me for this interview. I can't wait for our readers to learn about you! What are your family dynamics and where do you live?
This story is from the May - June 2024 edition of Smooth Jazz Magazine.
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This story is from the May - June 2024 edition of Smooth Jazz Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
NORMAN BROWN It Hits Different
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Readers, I’m honored to introduce Mr. Ellis Hamilton to you. If you don’t know him or his music yet, you will! I met Ellis on May 20, 2023, at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA. Why can tell you the exact date? Well, Najee was performing that evening and receiving an award.
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