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Buck Hammer Biography

buck-hammer
  • Born:
  • Years Active: 1950s
  • Genre: Jazz

A strange little album called The Discovery of Buck Hammer appeared in the late '50s on the Jazztone label, purported to be the collected work of deceased Mississippi boogie-woogie pianist Buck Hammer. Hammer was actually an alias of Renaissance entertainer Steve Allen, who wrote the pieces on the album and overdubbed all the piano parts, releasing the recording to test the acumen of jazz critics, many of whom were taken in by the hoax. Nat Hentoff was not fooled, however, wryly noting that Mr. Hammer appeared to have been born with three hands. Allen's attention to detail on the album makes it an interesting recording, if you can find it. A buck hammer, by the way, is a surgical tool used to test a patient's neurological responses. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi

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