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Coleman Hawkins

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Musician

The Resume

    (November 21, 1904-May 19, 1969)
    Born in St. Joseph, Missouri
    Tenor saxophonist
    Best known for his version of 'Body and Soul' (1939)
    Recorded the albums 'Solo Sessions' (1945), 'Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster' (1957), 'The Hawk Flies High' (1957), 'Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins' (1962), and 'Today and Now' (1962)
    Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame (1982)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was so young when he joined the band of blues singer Mamie Smith that Smith had to become his legal guardian.
    Many years later, listening to some of Smith's recordings on which he had not yet developed his mature playing style, he tried to disavow responsibility by claiming the sax was actually played by his father.
    In the mid and late 1960s, his recorded output dropped off as he fell into depression and heavy drinking.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He reportedly could read music before he could read words.
    He was the first important jazz saxophonist, having started at a time when the instrument was mostly viewed as either a novelty for vaudeville or as a substitute for trombones in a marching band.
    He led Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and Oscar Pettiford in a session widely considered the birth of bebop (February 16, 1944).
    DownBeat magazine wrote, 'The most fascinating thing about Hawkins musically is the way he has changed with the times, moved with the music, and never allowed himself to become dated.'
    Keynote Records founder Harry Lim called him 'the Picasso of jazz.'

Credit: C. Fishel


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    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying