Hawk

[JSngry]

[flat5]

Oh chomp that thing.

[Late]

And from the other side of the time spectrum:

[duaneiac]

I always wondered why they chose to put the older Coleman Hawkins on the commemorative postage stamp. Who made that call? There's nothing wrong with that decision necessarily, but when I think of Coleman Hawkins, my first mental image is never that of him as an old man. If Elvis could be remembered on a stamp as the young, influential performer he once was instead of the bloated self-caricature he became, why didn't Mr. Hawkins also deserve to be commemorated as the younger man he was during his most influential years.

[paul secor]

I feel that Hawk played some of his best music in his later years - perhaps not the last 2-3 years of his life but, say, 1957 to 1963.

(Some might go later than 1963 - I hear Jim coming - but that's a good cut off point for my ears.)

Perhaps he didn't look as good as he did as a young man, but the music was as good or better than ever.

Edited February 15, 2015 by paul secor

[johnblitweiler]

In "Cootie And Rex: The Big Challenge" you can hear 2 of the most distinctive tenor sax sounds ever, one following the other. Bud Freeman is perfectly clean and in tune and beautiful, Hawkins' sound is so big and rich with overtones that at first it seems out of tune. I loved the solos and chases, too, for a change it's a real true battle of saxes.

[JSngry]

[xybert]

I feel that Hawk played some of his best music in his later years - perhaps not the last 2-3 years of his life but, say, 1957 to 1963.

(Some might go later than 1963 - I hear Jim coming - but that's a good cut off point for my ears.)

Perhaps he didn't look as good as he did as a young man, but the music was as good or better than ever.

I'm not an expert but on Hawk, but i really dig what i've heard from this period. The Hawk Flies High, Bean Bags, At Ease With..., The Hawk Relaxes, Duke Ellington Meets..., the Impulse stuff, Sonny Meets Hawk... i intend to dig in to more at some point.

[Peter Friedman]

I feel that Hawk played some of his best music in his later years - perhaps not the last 2-3 years of his life but, say, 1957 to 1963.

(Some might go later than 1963 - I hear Jim coming - but that's a good cut off point for my ears.)

Perhaps he didn't look as good as he did as a young man, but the music was as good or better than ever.

Paul, I am in complete agreement with you.

[JSngry]

I'll go all the way to the end, Sirius notwithstanding, but no big deal. I've just recently heard the recorded post-Sirius live gigs (mostly on YouTube) and it's pretty intense to me to watch this old warrior go out on his own terms, beaten, perhaps, but in no way defeated. Coleman Hawkins, jeez.

[l p]

hawkins belgium 1962, moonlight in vermont at 34:00 into the video.

hawkins brussels 1962 Daybreak in Dinant

it would seem that Daybreak in Dinant is an improvisation on moonlight in vermont.

[Larry Kart]

In "Cootie And Rex: The Big Challenge" you can hear 2 of the most distinctive tenor sax sounds ever, one following the other. Bud Freeman is perfectly clean and in tune and beautiful, Hawkins' sound is so big and rich with overtones that at first it seems out of tune. I loved the solos and chases, too, for a change it's a real true battle of saxes.

Amazing music on that record from everyone. Got it at the time (I was a signed-up member of the Jazztone Society) and couldn't believe those serious chase choruses on "Alphonse and Gaston." Also, kudos to producer George T. Simon (or whoever had the idea) for the presence of Gus Johnson on drums and Billy Bauer on guitar.

[flat5]

johnblitweiler, I've been trying to find out who did the arrangements for the "Cootie And Rex: The Big Challenge" session(s).

Anyone have that info?

[king ubu]

In "Cootie And Rex: The Big Challenge" you can hear 2 of the most distinctive tenor sax sounds ever, one following the other. Bud Freeman is perfectly clean and in tune and beautiful, Hawkins' sound is so big and rich with overtones that at first it seems out of tune. I loved the solos and chases, too, for a change it's a real true battle of saxes.

Recently read somewhere that it was Hawk who insisted on the presence of Bud Freeman since he loved his playing so much?

[jazztrain]

Ernie Wilkins and Joe Thomas. Here's information from the liner notes:

>>>

One final plea from Cootie: "Don't just put us in the studio and tell everyone to blow -- please!" So Ernie Wilkins, who's written such swinging things for Basie, sketched five sets of opening and closing choruses, between which all the men could blow solos, and that experienced recording arranger, Joe Thomas, who has written for Cootie of late, worked out the backgrounds for the two numbers that spotlight Williams.

>>>

johnblitweiler, I've been trying to find out who did the arrangements for the "Cootie And Rex: The Big Challenge" session(s).

Anyone have that info?

[Larry Kart]

Maybe his best “Body and Soul”? (Everything from that Playboy Jazz Fest performance is superb.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B99WkEWR6U&spfreload=10

“Alphonse and Gaston,” with Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart, J.C. Higginbotham, Lawrence Brown, Coleman Hawkins, Bud Freeman, Hank Jones, Billy Bauer, Milt Hinton and Gus Johnson. Kudos to Higginbotham and Brown, who set the pace by going at it like a tiger and a lion.

[jazztrain]

The liner notes suggest that George Simon (I'm assuming that's the identity of "G.T.S.") was responsible for putting the date together.

The following information from John Chilton's biography of Hawkins (The Song of the Hawk) suggests that Hawkins was unlikely to be the one who brought Freeman in "since he loved his playing so much."

>>>

The supreme individualism of each of the front-line soloists is apparent on every track, and the deep contrasts between the styles of Hawkins and freeman (relating to tonal differences, dissimilarity of phrasing and contrasting approaches to harmony) produce showers of interestingly patterned sparks as the two flinty veterans duel. In the issue of Down Beat that went on sale just before this session took place, Hawkins said some candid things about his rival. Having already identified Bud Freeman's playing on a recording of 'Perdido', he wnet on to say, 'Do I like that tenor style? Well, no, not exactly.'

>>>

In "Cootie And Rex: The Big Challenge" you can hear 2 of the most distinctive tenor sax sounds ever, one following the other. Bud Freeman is perfectly clean and in tune and beautiful, Hawkins' sound is so big and rich with overtones that at first it seems out of tune. I loved the solos and chases, too, for a change it's a real true battle of saxes.

Recently read somewhere that it was Hawk who insisted on the presence of Bud Freeman since he loved his playing so much?

[king ubu]

Ah well, Hawkins said a lot of things ... seems he put down Chu Berry as well, but after he was gone, he was finally able to confess that he actually did like his playing quite some. Not sure where I read this bit about Hawkins/Freeman though (and even if I found it, as with so many things about jazz, that would still not be an actual source, so ignore if you prefer).

[Chuck Nessa]

Hawkins was always combative with other tenor players. I can easily imagine him asking for Bud to do battle. FWIW, Bud had immense respect for Hawkins.

Check him out, doing battle with Getz and Gonsalves on The Way You Look Tonight - here:

[paul secor]

Ah well, Hawkins said a lot of things ... seems he put down Chu Berry as well, but after he was gone, he was finally able to confess that he actually did like his playing quite some. Not sure where I read this bit about Hawkins/Freeman though (and even if I found it, as with so many things about jazz, that would still not be an actual source, so ignore if you prefer).

I read something once where he said that Lester Young couldn't play saxophone. Sounds like some of the things Miles was quoted as saying - maybe coming from some of the same places.

[paul secor]

Hawkins was always combative with other tenor players. I can easily imagine him asking for Bud to do battle. FWIW, Bud had immense respect for Hawkins.

Check him out, doing battle with Getz and Gonsalves on The Way You Look Tonight - here:

I'll have to get that one out and play it again. I remembered Gonsalves and Getz being on it, but completely forgot about Hawk.

[king ubu]

"Sittin' In" is a good one indeed! Will have to re-visit "Great Reunion"/"Big Challenge" soon, not that familiar with these yet.

Hawk's relation with Pres was quite complex, too, I guess - seems at one of the European JATP tours in the fifties, when Pres more or less had stopped eating (same thing Hawkins would do, ten years later), it was Hawkins who tried to look after him.

Edited February 17, 2015 by king ubu

[Guy Berger]

SITTIN IN is great!

[uli]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNpvnIY7JhU