Body and Soul by Coleman Hawkins

Body and Soul

Available from Amazon
Usually ships in 24 hours

Body and Soul

Features

Audio CD (September 19, 1995)

Original Release Date: September 13, 1995

Number of Discs: 1

Label: Pearl

Catalog Number: 1022

Amazon.com
This CD compiles several Coleman Hawkins sessions recorded between 1939 and 1956, capturing the masterful tenor saxophonist at the height of the swing era, in the midst of the bop revolution, and at the helm of large orchestras. While the quality of his accompaniments varies tremendously, Hawkins's contributions don't. The earliest session climaxes with his classic solo version of "Body and Soul," a landmark in both the harmonic language of jazz and improvised musical architecture. Another four tracks come from a 1940 octet date with some of Hawkins's old associates from the Fletcher Henderson band, Benny Carter (on trumpet here) and J.C. Higginbotham on trombone, along with the underrated clarinetist Danny Polo. It's small-group swing of the first order, with touches of traditional jazz in the improvised ensembles. Tadd Dameron wrote the arrangements for a 1947 band that includes trumpeter Fats Navarro, trombonist J.J. Johnson, pianist Hank Jones, and drummer Max Roach. While the horns all solo fluently on Dameron's "Half Step Down, Please," it's the three ballad features for the leader that stand out, Hawkins drawing inspiration from Dameron's moodily dense harmonies. The settings are pedestrian at best for a series of 1956 recordings, with Billy Byers and Manny Albam writing arrangements. Hawkins bristles with individuality, whether soaring over a substantial big band on "The Bean Stalks Again," cutting a new path through a cluttered "Body and Soul," or counterposing his ruggedly magisterial horn to still fussier arrangements of "I Love Paris" and "Under Paris Skies." --Stuart Broomer

Reader Reviews
Referring to the 19 track RCA incarnation of this title: This is 5 star material, as is most Coleman Hawkins. He is presented with half a dozen all-star orchestra and small groups recorded between 1939 and 1956. A swell way for the unintiated to get aquainted with the Mother of all (tenor) sax players. To hear the Hawk is to hear them all: you'll find shades of every tenor from Adderly to Rollins. The selections are carefully chosen for artistic merit and variety. The sound quality is quite good, even on the older sides. The problem is, as an overview it is too narrow. Spend the extra money to get the 2CD "Retrospective 1929-1963" which contains 40 tracks, including all those on this CD. The Hawk is too huge a jazz legend to be captured on a dozen CDs, but at least the expanded release covers a sizeable chunk of his career. If you cheap it out and buy this one, you'll love it but in retrospect you'll wish you'd gotten the 2CD version.

Back To Top