Coleman Hawkins - My One and Only Love '2017

Tracks list

Tracklist:

01. Youve Changed
02. Its Getting Dark
03. Dont Take Your Love from Me
04. Monotono Blues
05. La Rosita
06. Cool Blue
07. Cmon In
08. My One and Only Love
09. Tres Palabras
10. Lawdy, Lawdy Blues
11. Greensleeves


 Read MoreAlthough (due largely to lack of competition) Coleman Hawkins was
the top tenor in jazz in 1924, his staccato runs and use of slap-tonguing sound
quite dated today. However, after Louis Armstrong joined Henderson later in the
year, Hawkins learned from the cornetists relaxed legato style and advanced
quickly. 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 Fletcher Hendersons 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-toned
Hawkins. In addition to his solos with Henderson, Hawkins backed some blues
singers, recorded with McKinneys 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 to Europe, spending five years (1934-1939) overseas. He
played at first with Jack Hyltons Orchestra in England, and then freelanced
throughout the continent. His most famous recording from this period was a 1937
date with Benny Carter, Alix Combille, Andre Ekyan, Django Reinhardt, and
Stephane Grappelli that resulted in classic renditions of Crazy Rhythm and
Honeysuckle Rose. With World War II coming close, Hawkins returned to the U.S.
in 1939. Although Lester Young had emerged with a totally new style on tenor,
Hawkins showed that he was still a dominant force by winning a few heated jam
sessions. His recording of Body and Soul that year became his most famous
record. In 1940, he led 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 quartet version of The
Man I Love. Although he was already a 20-year veteran, Hawkins encouraged the
younger bop-oriented musicians and did not need to adjust his harmonically
advanced style in order to play 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 as
sidemen early in their careers; toured in California with a sextet featuring
Howard McGhee; and in 1946, utilized J.J. Johnson and Fats Navarro on record
dates. Hawkins toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic several times during
1946-1950, visited Europe on a few occasions, and in 1948 recorded the first
unaccompanied saxophone solo, Picasso.

By the early 50s, the Lester Young-influenced Four Brothers sound had become a
much greater influence 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 experiencing a renaissance. The up-and-coming
Sonny Rollins considered Hawkins his main influence, Hawk started teaming up
regularly with Roy Eldridge in an exciting quintet (their appearance at the 1957
Newport Jazz Festival was notable), and he proved to still be in his prime.
Coleman Hawkins appeared in a wide variety of settings, from Red Allens heated
Dixieland band at the Metropole and leading a bop date featuring Idrees Sulieman
and J.J. Johnson, to guest appearances on records that included Thelonious Monk,
John Coltrane, and (in the early 60s) Max Roach and Eric Dolphy. During the
first half of the 1960s, Coleman Hawkins had an opportunity to record with Duke
Ellington, collaborated on one somewhat eccentric session with Sonny Rollins,
and even did a bossa nova album. By 1965, Hawkins was 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 quickly wasted away. Other than a
surprisingly effective appearance with Jazz at the Philharmonic in early 1969,
very little of Hawkins work during his final three and a half years (a period
during which he largely stopped recording) is up to the level one would expect
from the great master. However, there are dozens of superb Coleman Hawkins
recordings currently available and, as Eddie Jefferson said in his vocalese
version of Body and Soul, he was the king of the saxophone. ~ Scott Yanow

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