coleman hawkins - music biography, credits and discography _ allmusic

Coleman Hawkins - Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/coleman-hawkins-mn0000776363[27/2/2013 6:18:54 ]

Coleman Hawkins JUMP TO DISCOGRAPHY

GENRES

STYLES

ACTIVE

BORN

DIED

ALIASES

MEMBER OF

Jazz

Bop

Early Jazz

Mainstream Jazz

Swing

Post-Bop

Jazz Instrument

Saxophone Jazz

Big Band

1920s - 1960s

November 21, 1904 in St.

Joseph, MO

May 19, 1969 in New York, NY

Coleman Randolph Hawkins

The Chocolate Dandies

Ramblers

+ Artist Metadata IDs

Submit corrections

OVERVIEW SONGS CREDITS AWARDS RELATED LISTEN

biography by Scott Yanow

Share Page

photo gallery

[-]

Coleman Hawkins was the first important tenor saxophonist and he remains one of the greatest of alltime. A consistently modern improviser whose knowledge of chords and harmonies was encyclopedic,Hawkins had a 40-year prime (1925-1965) during which he could hold his own with any competitor.

Coleman Hawkins started piano lessons when he was five, switched to cello at age seven, and two yearslater began on tenor. At a time when the saxophone was considered a novelty instrument, used invaudeville and as a poor substitute for the trombone in marching bands, Hawkins sought to develop hisown sound. A professional when he was 12, Hawkins was playing in a Kansas City theater pit band in1921, when Mamie Smith hired him to play with her Jazz Hounds. Hawkins was with the blues singeruntil June 1923, making many records in a background role and he was occasionally heard oninstrumentals. After leaving Smith, he freelanced around New York, played briefly with WilburSweatman, and in August 1923 made his first recordings with Fletcher Henderson. When Hendersonformed a permanent orchestra in January 1924, Hawkins was his star tenor.

Although (due largely to lack of competition) Coleman Hawkins was the top tenor in jazz in 1924, hisstaccato runs and use of slap-tonguing sound quite dated today. However, after Louis Armstrong joinedHenderson later in the year, Hawkins learned from the cornetist's relaxed legato style and advancedquickly. By 1925, Hawkins was truly a major soloist, and the following year his solo on "Stampede"became influential. Hawk (who doubled in early years on clarinet and bass sax) would be with FletcherHenderson's Orchestra up to 1934, and during this time he was the obvious pacesetter among tenors;Bud Freeman was about the only tenor who did not sound like a close relative of the hard-tonedHawkins. In addition to his solos with Henderson, Hawkins backed some blues singers, recorded withMcKinney's Cotton Pickers, and, with Red McKenzie in 1929, he cut his first classic ballad statement on"One Hour."

By 1934, Coleman Hawkins had tired of the struggling Fletcher Henderson Orchestra and he moved toEurope, spending five years (1934-1939) overseas. He played at first with Jack Hylton's Orchestra inEngland, and then freelanced throughout the continent. His most famous recording from this periodwas a 1937 date with Benny Carter, Alix Combille, Andre Ekyan, Django Reinhardt, and StephaneGrappelli that resulted in classic renditions of "Crazy Rhythm" and "Honeysuckle Rose." With WorldWar II coming close, Hawkins returned to the U.S. in 1939. Although Lester Young had emerged with atotally new style on tenor, Hawkins showed that he was still a dominant force by winning a few heatedjam sessions. His recording of "Body and Soul" that year became his most famous record. In 1940, heled a big band that failed to catch on, so Hawkins broke it up and became a fixture on 52nd Street.Some of his finest recordings were cut during the first half of the 1940s, including a stunning quartetversion of "The Man I Love." Although he was already a 20-year veteran, Hawkins encouraged theyounger bop-oriented musicians and did not need to adjust his harmonically advanced style in order toplay with them. He used Thelonious Monk in his 1944 quartet; led the first official bop record session(which included Dizzy Gillespie and Don Byas); had Oscar Pettiford, Miles Davis, and Max Roach assidemen early in their careers; toured in California with a sextet featuring Howard McGhee; and in1946, utilized J.J. Johnson and Fats Navarro on record dates. Hawkins toured with Jazz at thePhilharmonic several times during 1946-1950, visited Europe on a few occasions, and in 1948 recordedthe first unaccompanied saxophone solo, "Picasso."

By the early '50s, the Lester Young-influenced Four Brothers sound had become a much greaterinfluence on young tenors than Hawkins' style, and he was considered by some to be out of fashion.However, Hawkins kept on working and occasionally recording, and by the mid-'50s was experiencinga renaissance. The up-and-coming Sonny Rollins considered Hawkins his main influence, Hawk startedteaming up regularly with Roy Eldridge in an exciting quintet (their appearance at the 1957 NewportJazz Festival was notable), and he proved to still be in his prime. Coleman Hawkins appeared in a widevariety of settings, from Red Allen's heated Dixieland band at the Metropole and leading a bop date

explore new releases recommendations blog

Sign Up Log in



artist moods

artist themes

Cerebral ElegantSophisticated BittersweetConfident FreewheelingLaid-Back/Mellow LushPassionate PlaintiveRefined ReflectiveRollicking SensualSoothing StylishWarm YearningGritty FunLiterate PlayfulAmiable/Good-Natured

EnergeticReserved

Restrained RomanticBoisterous EarthyExuberant

Celebration ReminiscingDinner Ambiance DrinkingFreedom Hanging OutReflection Sunday AfternoonThe Creative Side IntrospectionLate Night Relaxation

- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

-- -- --

- -- -- -- -- -- -

discography MAIN ALBUMS COMPILATIONS SINGLES & EPS DVDS & VIDEOS

Year Title Label Editors' Rating Average User Rating

1944 Tenor Sax Stylings Brunswick No User Ratings

1951 Favorites Phoenix Jazz No User Ratings

1951Coleman HawkinsFavorites Advance Music No User Ratings

1952Disorder at the Border

Spotlite No User Ratings

1952The King of the TenorSax Commodore Records No User Ratings

1954The Hawk Returns

Savoy Jazz No User Ratings

1954 The Tenor Sax Album Savoy No User Ratings

1954 Jazz Tones Xanadu Records No User Ratings

1954 The Bean Emarcy No User Ratings

1955Accent on Tenor Sax

Fresh Sound No User Ratings

1955 Cool Groove Drive Archive No User Ratings

1956Coleman Hawkins: ADocumentary Riverside Records No User Ratings

The Big Sounds of

list condensed

featuring Idrees Sulieman and J.J. Johnson, to guest appearances on records that included TheloniousMonk, John Coltrane, and (in the early '60s) Max Roach and Eric Dolphy. During the first half of the1960s, Coleman Hawkins had an opportunity to record with Duke Ellington, collaborated on onesomewhat eccentric session with Sonny Rollins, and even did a bossa nova album. By 1965, Hawkinswas even showing the influence of John Coltrane in his explorative flights and seemed ageless.

Unfortunately, 1965 was Coleman Hawkins' last good year. Whether it was senility or frustration,Hawkins began to lose interest in life. He practically quit eating, increased his drinking, and quicklywasted away. Other than a surprisingly effective appearance with Jazz at the Philharmonic in early1969, very little of Hawkins' work during his final three and a half years (a period during which helargely stopped recording) is up to the level one would expect from the great master. However, thereare dozens of superb Coleman Hawkins recordings currently available and, as Eddie Jefferson said inhis vocalese version of "Body and Soul," "he was the king of the saxophone."

COLLAPSE



1956 Coleman Hawkins andBen Webster

Brunswick No User Ratings

1956 The Hawk in Hi-Fi RCA No User Ratings

1956The Hawk in Paris

RCA(1)

1957 At Newport Live Verve(1)

1957Coleman HawkinsEncounters BenWebster

Verve / Polygram(1)

1957The Genius of ColemanHawkins

Verve No User Ratings

1957Coleman Hawkins andRoy Eldridge at theOpera House

No User Ratings

1957Volume One: Warhorses

Jass Records No User Ratings

1957 The Gilded Hawk EMI Music Distribution No User Ratings

1957The Hawk Flies High Original Jazz Classics /

Prestige Records (1)

1957 Think Deep Riverside Records No User Ratings

1958 Blues Groove No User Ratings

1958Meets the Big SaxSection

Savoy Jazz / Savoy No User Ratings

1958 High Standards Jass Records No User Ratings

1958 Bean Bags Koch Jazz / Koch Jazz(2)

1958 Soul Original Jazz Classics No User Ratings

1958 All Stars at Newport No User Ratings

1958Coleman Hawkins andConfreres

Verve(1)

1958Coleman Hawkins andHis Friends at a FamousJazz Party

Enigma No User Ratings

1958The High and MightyHawk

Ais / Poll Winners Records No User Ratings

1959At the Bayou Club

Honeysuckle Rose No User Ratings



1959At the Bayou Club, Vol.2

Honeysuckle Rose No User Ratings

1959 Stasch Swingville No User Ratings

1959 Hawk Eyes Original Jazz Classics(1)

1959With the Red GarlandTrio

Swingville/OJC(1)

1959 Just You, Just Me Stash No User Ratings

1959Rare Live Performance

Jazz Anthology No User Ratings

195?High Standards andWarhorses

Jass Records No User Ratings

1960 All Stars Swingville No User Ratings

1960Coleman Hawkins AllStars

Fantasy No User Ratings

1960At Ease with ColemanHawkins

Original Jazz Classics No User Ratings

1960 Night Hawk OJC No User Ratings

1960 Bean Stalkin' Pablo No User Ratings

1960European Concert

Unique Records No User Ratings

1961The Hawk Relaxes

Original Jazz Classics No User Ratings

1961Jam Session inSwingville

Prestige Records No User Ratings

1961 Jazz Reunion No User Ratings

1961The Hawk Blows atMidnight Decca No User Ratings

1961Things Ain't What TheyUsed to Be Swingville No User Ratings

1962 Good Old Broadway JVC Compact Discs No User Ratings

1962 No Strings Mood No User Ratings

1962Hawkins! Eldridge!Hodges! Alive! At theVillage Gate!

Verve No User Ratings



1962Plays Make SomeoneHappy No User Ratings

1962Duke Ellington MeetsColeman Hawkins

Verve(14)

1962 On the Bean Continental No User Ratings

1962Back in Bean's Bag

Sony Music Distribution No User Ratings

1962 Alive! Verve No User Ratings

1962 Centerpiece Phoenix No User Ratings

1962In Concert with RoyEldridge

Band Stand - (import) No User Ratings

1962Jazz Version of NoStrings No User Ratings

1962 Jazz at the Metropole Philips No User Ratings

1963The Hawk and theHunter Mira Recordings No User Ratings

1963 Hawk Talk Tradition/Rykodisc /Tradition No User Ratings

1963Hawkins! Alive! at theVillage Gate No User Ratings

1963 Today and Now Impulse! / GRP(1)

1963Blowin' Up a Breeze

Spotlite No User Ratings

1963Desafinado: Bossa Novaand Jazz Samba

Impulse! / GRP(3)

1963Sonny Meets Hawk!

Tombstone(10)

1964Essen Jazz Festival AllStars Fantasy No User Ratings

1964 Lover Man France's Concert No User Ratings

1965 Meditations No User Ratings

1965 Rifftide Pumpkin Records No User Ratings

1966Coleman Hawkins andthe Trumpet Kings Emarcy No User Ratings



1966 Wrapped Tight GRP / Impulse! No User Ratings

1966 Supreme Enja No User Ratings

1966 Sirius Pablo No User Ratings

1999 For the Ears Vanguard No User Ratings

Coleman Hawkins - TheEvolution No User Ratings

allmusic allmovie allgame divx celebified sidereelCorporate Site Copyright Policy Developers Help/FAQ Feedback Advertise Privacy Policy Terms of Use 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved

SoundfieldsVoice & Sound Amplification Personal Hearing Devices

www.soundfields.co.uk

allmusic.comColeman Hawkins - Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic

4taGF3a2lucy1tbjAwMDA3NzYzNjMA: form1: term: input3:

coleman hawkins - music biography, credits and discography _ allmusic

Documents