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Sailing down memory lane: Hamilton on board The Zaca

Saxophonist Andy Hamilton recalls his heyday with Flynn

What would a Jamaican pensioner living in Birmingham have in common with swashbuckling Hollywood legend Errol Flynn? Plenty, if that pensioner happened to be 88-year-old jazzman Andy Hamilton.

The veteran saxophonist was Flynn’s personal bandleader in the 1940s and he recently made an emotional trip down memory lane to play once more on Flynn’s yacht – The Zaca – from where he led the performances at the late actor’s legendary parties.

Sixty years had passed since Hamilton last boarded The Zaca and the reunion came in Monte Carlo courtesy of an Australian film company who are making a documentary about the Tasmanian-born screen star. On hearing about Hamilton, the film producers invited him along to contribute.

ZACA

“It was a great feeling, a great musical feeling,” Hamilton told The Voice as he described the moment he boarded the vessel. “I never thought I’d ever see it again. The Zaca looked so nice – just like it did in the forties. I stood in the very spot where I played numbers for Errol. I couldn’t believe it was happening! It was a great privilege to be part of the documentary.”

Hamilton first made the connection with Tinseltown’s first party animal back in 1946 when Flynn heard him play at the exclusive Titchfield Hotel in Port Antonio, Jamaica. Flynn sent a taxi back for Hamilton and invited him to become his bandleader on board The Zaca while the yacht cruised the Caribbean.

“Errol loved his music, especially calypso, jazz and romantic ballads and he loved to dance,” Hamilton reminisced. “We became good friends and he was good to me. I felt honoured that such a big star liked our music.”

The Flynn-Hamilton alliance ended in 1948 when the actor returned to Hollywood in a bid to re-ignite his career and the musician migrated to England where he became a successful touring artist, playing with the likes of Sarah Vaughan and Art Farmer and headlining major festivals in Paris, Milan, Madrid, St Lucia and his native Jamaica.

However the unlikely pair did not lose touch. Hamilton recalls receiving letters from Flynn as well as rare microphone equipment.

Silvershine, a jazz calypso song Hamilton wrote for Flynn in 1947, was to become the title track of Andy’s debut album, which became one of the leading UK jazz albums of the year and one of Sony’s 50 top long players on its release in 1990. Hamilton’s second album, Jamaica By Night, followed in 1992.

The aforementioned documentary is set to air in Australia early next year before its general release.

Published: 26 July 2006
Issue: 1228

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