MUSICIANS are often asked to name a favourite player or tune which have had a lasting effect on their life and career.

I have never made any secret that drummer Gene Krupa had the most influence on my early years.

Among the many swing tunes I heard him play, "Flying Home", with the Benny Goodman Quartet, was possibly the most memorable.

Years later, thanks to my good friend and fellow jazz enthusiast, Frank Harrison, I discovered that Lionel Hampton had written "Flying Home". I should have known, as it became synonymous with Hampton when he formed his own orchestra.

Hampton would have been 100 years old on April 20, so this is a good time to pay tribute to the man who made a significant contribution to jazz during his long career as a drummer, pianist, singer and, most notably, a hugely talented and dynamic vibraphone player.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Hampton moved to Birmingham, Alabama, with his mother, Gertrude, to be with the family after his father was killed in the First World War. They finally settled in Chicago, where young Lionel played the snare drum in a youth band.

During his teenage years it became obvious that he was a youngster of special talent, and it wasn't long before he relocated to Los Angeles, where he played drums at The Cotton Club in its resident group, which backed Louis Armstrong.

In 1930, Hampton was called to a recording session with Armstrong and, during a break, went over to a set of vibes and started to play. He ended up playing vibes on one track, which became a hit, and a new sound was introduced to jazz. Hampton went on to earn the sobriquet: "King of the vibes."

When Goodman heard him play, he invited Hampton to join his group, with Teddy Wilson on piano, and Krupa on drums. Thus was born the Benny Goodman Quartet which, over the years, recorded a number of classics, including "Flying Home".

Hampton went on to become one of the most celebrated and successful bandleader/performers in the history of jazz.

The drum chair was occupied for a time by Buddy Rich and Hampton recruited other luminaries, including Illinois Jacquet, Willie "The Cat" Anderson, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Clark Terry, Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus and Wes Montgomery.

He passed away, aged 94, on August 31, 2002, but his vision lives on through the Lionel Hampton Centre at the University of Idaho.