Lionel Hampton became the first jazz vibraphonist when Louis Armstrong asked him to play the instrument in a 1930 recording session. He went on to join the Benny Goodman Orchestra and later direct his own band. He first appeared at the University of Idaho Jazz Festival in 1984. The festival was named in his honor the next year and UI's School of Music was named after him in 1987. It is the only university school of music to be named in honor of a jazz musician. He made his final performance with the big band he fronted for over 50 years at the University of Idaho in 2002.
To visit Hamp, enter the Student Union from the parking lot (the coordinates above mark that entrance). The Jazz Festival office is through the first set of doors on the left. During the third full week of February, the statue is moved to the stage at the Kibbie Dome for the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival.
Lionel Hampton on Wikipedia