Customer Reviews

Genius of Coleman Hawkins

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Three cheers for Norman Granz and Verve Records! Back in the 50s and 60s Verve was best known for showcasing many of jazz's established stars -- Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Wes Montogmery (after he'd proven himself with Riverside), Bill Evans (also, after he'd proven himself with Riverside), and Jimmy Smith (after making a name for himself on Blue Note). But Verve also took a bigger gamble by bringing older jazz stars, many of whom had been passed by in the scene, into the studio to record now that it was the golden age of stereo. The names read like a who's who of classic jazz -- Ben Webster, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie and Coleman Hawkins.

"The Genius of Coleman Hawkins" is a true classic. Not only because we get to hear one of the be-bop masters, in good sound and good form, but because of the material on the album. There isn't much new material -- they're all old familair standards -- but Hawk plays them like an old lover. It doesn't hurt when you have the Oscar Peterson Trio backing you as it did so successfully on many Verve dates. Toss Herb Ellis in on guitar and you've got a quintet of all-stars. As if you need to be sold still, this seond issue on CD features a slew of extra tracks, alternates and so on. Along with his Ben Webster Encounter, this is the highlight of his "second career."

This is a lovely 1957 recording of Coleman Hawkins with the Oscar Peterson Trio + Alvin Stoller on drums. Hawkins is one of the great Tenor players in the history of Jazz. Certainly the first great tenor player and to my mind only Sonny Rollins and Coltrane approach him in importance.

Here, by now in his 50's, Hawkins is in superb form playing with all the inventiveness, sublety and power you would expect. Take an Ellington classic like 'In A Mellowtone' and you hear all the reasons why Hawkins is rated so highly. From his reading of the tune you know the solo is going to be something special and by the 2nd chorus the Hawk IS flying, squeaks and blue notes pushed to the limit fly from the saxophone. He's helped by having the Peterson Trio of Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar. In fact the solo just goes on and on and they never revert back to the head - it just finishes at the end of the solo!

My reason for not giving it 5 stars is that great as Coleman Hawkins was, it would have been nice if Peterson and Ellis were given a few solo opportunities. They aren't which is a shame. For me this lack of instrumental solo variety is the albums one fault. However its still a strongly recommended album.

Coleman Hawkins is certainly in the top 5 of most influential and creative musicians to ever play improvised American music. As a testament to his genius and powerful melodic sense, Hawkins is the only featured soloist on this recording. Supported by a classic Oscar Peterson quartet (Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Alvin Stoller), these gentleman remind us of a bygone era where romance and communication were important social commodities. Hawkins expresses these standard melodies with a flair and imagination that will convince even the pessimist that everything will be alright.

Produced by the jazz impressario Norman Granz and recorded in Los Angeles on October 16, 1957, The Genius of Coleman Hawkins features the master of the tenor saxophone with a first-rate rhythm section composed of Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Alvin Stoller on drums.

The majority of the 12 tracks that make up this CD are familiar ballads, mostly from the 1920s and 1930s, plus two popular songs from an earlier time (1912 and 1918), and one original by Hawkins. All of the tunes are relatively short, mostly around three and a half minutes. The longest, Harold Arlen's Ill Wind, comes in at five minutes and 32 seconds. Listed below are the 12 tracks with track time and date of composition:

1. I'll Never Be the Same 3:28 (1932)
2. You're Blase 3:345 (1931)
3. I Wished On the Moon 3:37 (1936)
4. How Long Has This Been Going On 3:53 (1928)
5. Like Someone In Love 3:54 (1944)
6. my Melancholy Baby 4:07 (1912)
7. Ill Wind 5:32 (1934)
8. In A Mellotone 4:44 (1939)
9. There's No You 3:25 (1944)
10. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise 3:46 (1918)
11. Somebody Loves Me 3:49 (1924)
12. Blues for Rene 3:02 ( Coleman Hawkins - date unknown)

Although Hawkins is sometimes described as "hard-driving" and even "harsh" in his attacks, and often contasted with the lighter and more airy approach of Lester Young's tenor style, this CD presents a middle-aged Hawk in a generally smooth-flowing and mellow-toned approach to these catchy melodies as well as his inventive improvisations on melodic themes.

Throughout, Peterson's accompaniment is excellent and several times rises to what can only be termed a lovely intertwined duet with the saxophone. For this reviewer, my favorites of this type are the two Gershwin songs, How Long Has This Been Going On and Somebody Loves Me.

Another favorite of mine is the Arlen/Koelhler tune Ill Wind, which shows off the tightness of the entire quintet playing together. The World is Waiting For the Sunrise, a rather unconventional choice for a 1950s jazz album, displays Hawkins' creativity for melodic invention.

Miles Davis is reported to have once said, "When I heard Hawk, I learned to play ballads." Listening to this CD, it is easier to appreciate Davis' high opinion of Hawkins' softer side. Hawkins' playing comes very close to singing and his "genius" extends into his frequently inventive phrasing that slightly bends or delays the rhythm established by bass and drums.

While some may balk at the prospect of listening to an entire album of ballads from such seemingly bygone eras, others might gladly welcome the opportunity to catch the Hawk at moment when a talented ensemble of musicians and a rich repertoire of songs afforded a most smooth and mellow jazz experience. Anyone looking for a more varied and more "modern" side of Hawkins would do well to check out albums such as: Hawk Flies High and Supreme.

An added bonus on this Verve recording is a set of well-written and informative liner notes by the eminent jazz critic Nat Hentoff.

Highly Recommended.

The closest parallel to this 1957 album are some of the records Sonny Rollins was recordng around the same time, such as Way Out West, Newk's Time and Work Time. Hawkins' improvisatory forays are just as magisterial and, while more deeply rooted in a blues aesthetic, they are just as melodically inventive. But on the Rollins albums, there's a sense of Rollins interacting with a band and sometimes being driven further on by his fellow musicians, particularly his drummers. Here, it's just Hawkins playing over a rhythm section that is really rather generic and anonymous. It's almost like a master jazzman working out over a rhythm track (Miles Davis' 1980s work, anyone?). On The Genius of Coleman Hawkins, no one else solos. And the fact that there are Big Name players here like the Oscar Peterson Trio with Ray Brown and Herb Ellis, well, that makes the lapse all the more inexcusable. The album, in the end, is a five-star Hawkins turn in a two-star musical setting. I would direct those curious about this stage of Hawkins' career to The Hawk Flies High, where The Bean is just as jumpin' but there's a far more enjoyable group dynamic going on, too.