An imaginative and muscular player, Hamer even earned acclaim from legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, and in tandem with Hayes' other trumpeter, the great Jimmy Deuchar, he redefined the instrument's role in the fast-changing world of British jazz via now-classic LPs including 1966's 100% Proof and Jazz Tête à Tête. Hamer also contributed to sessions headlined by John Dankworth, Jack Parnell, and Ted Heath, and his studio work later expanded into the pop arena -- most notably, he plays on the Beatles' classic Got to Get You into My Life, as well as recordings by Bing Crosby, Barbra Streisand, and Dusty Springfield. Hamer also served for two decades as the lead trumpeter on the BBC television showcase #Top of the Pops. During the late '60s and early '70s he led his own sextet, which also featured Hayes and saxophonist Dick Morrissey -- their long-unreleased recordings finally saw the light of day in 2006 via the two-LP set Acropolis. Hamer retired to the Brighton area in 1987 but formed a new venture, the Sussex Youth Jazz Orchestra. He died September 3, 2006, just a week shy of his 74th birthday. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi