Jazz Week
The Song of the Day is:
Coleman Hawkins – “Body and Soul”
Recorded in 1939, available on many compilations
We’ve got a pretty full docket of upcoming theme weeks, with Halloween coming soon and then the long delayed Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, so if I’m going to have to opportunity to continue my annual Jazz Week in mid-October, like usual, then I need to start it now (who cares if it’s a Friday?). The idea is to expand our palate with jazz artists that we might not cover otherwise, because they aren’t always the center of attention any longer. It’s also an exercise for me to re-examine one of the great American art forms, and challenge myself to figuring out why some of these recordings and artists are so important. One such artist that requires some research for me is Coleman Hawkins, a legend no doubt, but his story is less often recounted than, say, Miles, Coltrane, or Louis Armstrong. Coleman Hawkins was a tenor saxophonist who had his greatest impact in 1930’s and 1940’s, though he had a five decade career that ended with his death in 1969. He was seen as a transitional artist who most commonly played in the swing format, but was known to bend the form towards the then-undeveloped bebop style. Such is the characteristic in this song “Body and Soul”, in which Coleman largely eschews the traditional melody of this standard for two choruses of improvisation. It might not sound like a major development to us in the present, but we’ve also been exposed to 80 years of subsequent jazz evolution that makes it nearly impossible to pinpoint these discoveries without fresh ears. The song was originally written in 1930 by Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton and was first given a jazz makeover by Louis Armstrong. In the early portion of Hawkins’ career, tenor saxophone was rarely considered a lead instrument, and thus he worked with larger groups like the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, and would often take to playing clarinet and bass saxophone to stay in demand within the band. In 1934 he moved to Europe, were Jazz was also thriving and there were less American conventions keeping him from heading his own group. By 1939, attitudes in America had changed and Hawkins returned stateside as a seasoned tenor sax bandleader and he promptly recorded his version of “Body and Soul”, complete with its melodic disregard (though the chord changes were firmly intact). In the next decade, Hawkins played a pivotal role in employing and mentoring musicians such as Thelonious Monk, Fats Navarro, Max Roach and Dizzy Gillespie, all of whom should become legends of bebop. Hawkins was also known for his skill as a balladeer in jazz, which is often an overlooked trait, but his excellence in subtlety impacted players such as Miles Davis. Over his career, he played with a litany of great players including John Coltrane, Django Reinhardt, Sonny Rollins, Oscar Peterson and Duke Ellington. His death of liver disease was attributed to his alcoholism, which unfortunately occurred at only 64 years of age. He was one of jazz music’s most beloved figures, and is often lovingly referred to as either “Hawk” or “Bean”.
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Hear Today, Grown Tomorrow 