Customer Reviews

Hawk Eyes

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

 

 

Coleman Hawkins virtually invented the jazz tenor saxophone. It was an equally amazing feat that thirty years after he rose to stardom in Fletcher Henderson's big band, he could still make an album as consistently enjoyable as "Hawk Eyes." This Prestige date from April 1959 finds Hawk returning to his roots with and old friend from his big band days, trumpeter Charlie Shavers. The rest of the group on this session -- guitarist Tiny Grimes, pianist Ray Bryant, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Osie Johnson -- are more identified with the bebop school, but they can handle the swing just find too. The success of this and other Prestige/Riverside albums jump started a second career for Hawk, who showed that even in the late 1950s those "Hawk Eyes" were as sharp as ever.

I must admit, this album didn't get to me on the first two listenings, but it payed off to give it a third chance... I suddenly liked it very very much... With Charlie Shavers as an adittional attraction on the trumpet, the things are at the same time cooking and, actually, quite subtle...
Maybe this is not the most typical of Hawk's performances, but I would argue it is among the best I've heard from the 1950s - swinging, muscular but also witty. Shavers is in full bloom here; it is no wonder he was considered a chief challenger to Roy Eldridge in the fiery trumpet department (they are not similar performers; they have different tone, attack, improvisational style; they just share the energy!)....

The rest of the group gives a very strong, muscular support the occasion requires and, all in all, this must be one of the better mainstream jazz albums of the 1950s; maybe not the first one you should hear (some other albums by Sweets, Prez, Hawk, Webster, Roy, Teddy Wilson or Peterson are a bit more accessible, I think) but hear it you should... In addition to swing, drive, force, intelligence and wit, at times it even gets romantic (which, shame on me, escaped me on first few listening attempts)

The CD under review here is entitled Hawk Eyes and is produced by a company called HIP. It is not a re-issue of the similarly titled Hawk Eyes!, originally produced by Prestige and also issued by Original Jazz Classics (OJC).

The track listing for this HIP CD is as follows:

The Man I Love
Don't Blame Me
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
Until the real Thing Comes Along
Red Beans
Through for the Night
Hawk Eyes
I Only Have Eyes for You
Talk of the Town
The Midnight Sun Will Never Set

Of the ten tracks, eight are fairly well-known standards and two are original compositions, Red Beans by Red Garland and Hawk Eyes by Coleman Hawkins.

Sound quality is good to excellent throughout and as a compilation of tunes featuring Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax this CD provides much listening enjoyment. My major criticism of this product is that there are no liner notes at all and thus it is difficult to identify individual musicians playing behind the Hawk, for example, the excellent trumpet player on Hawk Eyes and I Only Have Eyes for You. Given that drawback, this low-cost collection is still recommended for fans of Coleman Hawkins.

some excellent solos mainly by the trumpeter charlie shavers a somewhat underrated musician this disc was recommended in "jazz journal"