Virtuoso trombonist Slide Hampton is in a class all by himself. A self-taught left-hander, he plays with amazing ease and precision to achieve his uniquely melodic and soulful sound. Hampton is a veteran of the Dizzy Gillespie and Woody Herman bands, and has become one of the most respected band leaders, composers, and arrangers in jazz. He opens the show with riveting rendition of Lee Morgan’s "Sidewinder" to resounding applause from a devoted audience at the Kennedy Center’s Theater Lab.

Raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Hampton had a very musical upbringing. He tells Dr. Taylor that Indianapolis was a thriving environment for young musicians, citing Wes Montgomery, J.J. Johnson, Freddie Hubbard and David Baker among his contemporaries growing up. Hampton mentions Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman as being among his early influences, but he says that so much was going on musically at the time that he initially had difficulty focusing on any particular style.

But Hampton soon found his greatest inspiration with advent of bebop. He says "Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker changed our lives." Gillespie would become an even greater influence on Hampton later, when Hampton joined his band. Hampton recalls Dizzy’s tremendous dedication to teaching others, and the incredible amount of hours he would spend studying, practicing, and performing his music. Dizzy always strove to give something back to music because he felt that music had given so much to him.

At one point, Dr. Taylor and Hampton discuss the importance of dancing to the early development of bebop. Billy notes that tap dancers would exchange ideas and rehearse with bebop drummers like Max Roach and Kenny Clarke. Hampton mentions the complexity of the tap dancers' rhythmic patterns and the tight organization of their routines as having a great influence on drummers. He says, "I think [the tap dancers] were far in advance with rhythm…at that time….[T]he musicians learned a lot from that."

Billy asks Hampton what inspired him to organize his unique ensemble of nine trombones. Hampton replies that he was concerned that the presence of the trombone in musical ensembles was diminishing, especially as pop music became more dominant. The trombone ensemble is a way of recognizing the importance of the instrument, not only in jazz, but in classical and spiritual music as well. This idea inspired Hampton when he faced the unusual challenge of writing arrangements solely for trombones.

Responding to a question from the audience, Hampton demonstrates the process of "circular breathing ", which involves storing air in the cheeks and blowing while simultaneously inhaling through the nose. Slide and Billy then discuss the benefits of playing with others as a way to learn, find mutual inspiration, and share creative ideas. Slide also shares humorous stories about the different but equally unpredictable conducting styles of band leaders like Woody Herman and Dizzy Gillespie.

Hampton’s Grammy Award-winning arrangement of Ellington’s "Cottontail" is among the outstanding performances during the show. They also play "In a Sentimental Mood" and Ray Weston’s "High Fly", before closing with Duke Ellington’s "Caravan".