Coleman Hawkins "Picasso"

[Lazaro Vega]

Have functioned under the assumption that Coleman Hawkins 1948 solo saxophone recording "Picasso" took as its harmonic path the chord changes to "Body and Soul." Someone just challenged that, saying in fact the performance is without pre-determined chord sequence, which means not only is it the first solo saxophone recording in jazz, but that it pre-dates the Tristano recordings "Intuition" and "Digression" as examples of "free" playing. (One could make the point that Hawk's "Body and Soul," with the themeless improvisation, showed the way towards a new freedom in jazz, but that was still on the changes). Thoughts?

[Larry Kart]

John Chilton, who says in his Hawkins bio "The Song of the Hawk" that "'Picasso' is not based on any standard harmonic progression," also says that the recording was "the result of intensive planning," adding that "n the same way that Hawkins liked to pretend that the original recording of 'Body and Soul' was unpremeditated, so he also chose to give the impression that 'Picasso' was an unplanned achievement...."

[ghost of miles]

John Chilton, who says in his Hawkins bio "The Song of the Hawk" that "'Picasso' is not based on any standard harmonic progression," also says that the recording was "the result of intensive planning," adding that "n the same way that Hawkins liked to pretend that the original recording of 'Body and Soul' was unpremeditated, so he also chose to give the impression that 'Picasso' was an unplanned achievement...."

I was just thinking about this recording the other day, in light of all of the Hawk celebration going on... will have to look up The Jazz Scene when I get home tonight, as the booklet that comes with it has some discussion of this piece.

[Lazaro Vega]

That would be great Ghost.

[mmilovan]

If I may add my 2 cents here:

- As far as I remember, Hawkins told people about Body and Soul, that it was recorded after he heard Hershel Evans died during his absence in Europe.

- If facts are correct enough “Picasso” is not first Hawkins attempt to record solo sax free improvisation. It was "Hawk Variations" (extended on two sides of 78 rpm) that has the same structure and aproach (we had it in our BFT from Agustin). Matrix numbers for this one are marked as "Selmer" label (is it demostration record). First side (part 1) looks like nontempo playing "Yesterdays" but this is only my impression. Flip side is more free to my ears.

Booklet says that "'Hawk Variations' is on of the rarest recordings by Hawk. The exact recording date remains in question. Discographies usually situate this session in 1947, but we consider it more likely that it took place during Hawk;s visit to Los Angeles in February/March 1945. Originally released on the obscure Selmer label in France, 'Hawk Variations' os a solo tenor saxophone tour de force, a taste of thoings to come in 1948 when Hawk recorded his celebrated tenor solo piece 'Picasso'".

[Late]

Here are Brian Priestley’s 1994 notes on “Picasso” from the 3-disc Jazz Scene set:

From many points of view, the pièce de résistance of the original Jazz Scene was “Picasso.” As it turns out, Coleman Hawkins had already recorded an unaccompanied solo a couple of years earlier (“Hawk Variations” was done for a tiny label run by the Selmer saxophone company). But “Picasso” was the one that became famous and eventually inspired lots of follow-ups, from Sonny Rollins to Anthony Braxton. It also benefited from considerable preparation, according to Granz:

“When we recorded this side, Hawkins sat down and for two hours worked it all out on the piano. He then recorded it on the tenor for another two hours. Always the perfectionist, he still wasn’t satisfied; so a month later we recorded the piece again, and finally, after another four-hour session, got the take we wanted.”

Needless to say, none of these other tenor takes survive — otherwise they would be here. As to what Hawk was so painstaking about, there are two schools of thought. The piece is, according to Gunther Schuller (in The Swing Era), “a free-form, free-association continuity” consisting of phrases, according to John Chilton (in The Song of the Hawk), “unconnected by harmonic progression or tempo.”

Even nonmusicians, however, have often compared it to “Body and Soul,” for the simple reason that the implied chordal background of “Picasso” is a chorus and a half of the 1931 song “Prisoner of Love” (itself very similar to “Body and Soul” but with a different key-change for the channel). Any doubt about this explanation will be dispelled by listening to Hawk’s 1957 version of “Prisoner of Love” for Verve, which is — by no coincidence — in the same key and at roughly the same speed as his performance here. Indeed, although it begins out of tempo, you can snap your fingers to most of “Picasso,” at about seventy-eight beats per minute, in order to feel the underlying tempo and appreciate the soloist’s rhapsodic departures from it.

[Lazaro Vega]

Cool biz. Thanks guys.

[Lazaro Vega]

Here's a place where you can download the "Hawk Variations" on MP3.

http://mydamnforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=327

[JSngry]

Thanks for the tip!

[Lazaro Vega]

From what Millovan said the links might be backwards as the first link (on top) sounded to me like the freer of the two parts. The second link sounded like he was playing free tempo over changes and that could very well be "Body and Soul." What do you think, Jim? And for what it is worth, there's bebop in that first link. He all but says "bebop" on the horn at one point about 3/4 of the way through.

Hawk's tone, dynamics, phrasing and harmonic sequencing of his ideas set him apart from Chu Berry, who seemed to play (thanks Chuck) with more even note placement, smoother tone and a more uniform sense of dynamics.

And the simplicity and concentration on sound of Ben Webster made his playing that much more discernable, too, for being of the same "school."

[Late]

Gorgeous stuff. Thanks for the link.

[mmilovan]

From what Millovan said the links might be backwards as the first link (on top) sounded to me like the freer of the two parts. The second link sounded like he was playing free tempo over changes and that could very well be "Body and Soul." What do you think, Jim? And for what it is worth, there's bebop in that first link. He all but says "bebop" on the horn at one point about 3/4 of the way through.

Hawk's tone, dynamics, phrasing and harmonic sequencing of his ideas set him apart from Chu Berry, who seemed to play (thanks Chuck) with more even note placement, smoother tone and a more uniform sense of dynamics.

And the simplicity and concentration on sound of Ben Webster made his playing that much more discernable, too, for being of the same "school."

Yes, indeed. Hawk was among my favourite one (if I must choose from list that includes Chu, Hershel, Frog...) not because he was master of jazz, but because his individual aproach, his sense for contrasting, advanced harmonic sense, dynamic and hard swinging eight notes was, may I say, something different from his followers.

[Spontooneous]

I've just been listening to "Hawk's Variations" on the Classics CD.

Has anyone remarked...

that the second part sounds a heck of a lot like " 'Round Midnight" ?

[Late]

Just put "Hawk's Variations (Part One)" on the answering machine ...

[Lazaro Vega]

Spontooneous,

I think you have something there. Wow. Yeah, that is it. Isn't it? Now, after some time has passed, going back to it, that section doesn't sound like "Yesterdays" or "Body and Soul" as much as it does "Round Midnight."

One of the reasons this came up in the musician's forum is because you all have the ears, or transcription skills, to say yeah or nay on the basis for some of these speculations.

But, Spoontaneous, I think you win the cupie doll.

Anyone else hear that?

[Spontooneous]

Thanks, Lazaro. I was wondering how long it would take for somebody to agree or disagree.

I was listening to it quite casually when the notion hit me, about eight bars into the form. And I didn't hear anything after that point to dissuade me. The whole form is there pretty clearly, it seems to me.

I'm ready to make a "Hawk Plays Monk" compilation CD with this one, the "I Mean You" with Fats and JJ, and some Riverside tracks.