Time as always to switch gears and put up something a little off the normal pace. Time for some Jazz. Gotta have some cool down after all the metal posted this week. Coleman Hawkins was one of the premier Tenor Sax. Hawkins gains some notoriety for being one of the first prominent Tenor Sax players. While he started out his career in the 20's, he is mainly known for swing music and the big band era, he did have some role on the development of Bebop. Hawkins spent many years in Europe playing with people such as Django Reinhardt and Benny Carter. Upon his return in 39 he cut 'Body And Soul' which some see as a huge leap in Jazz progression. After failing to start up a big band of his own, he worked with such greats as Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Max Roach, and Dizzy Gillespie. By the late 40's Hawkins had divided his time between playing in Europe and in New York. But by the 60's the heavy drinking toll put a strain on his records. Although he did manage to cut a record with Duke Ellington in 62, the end was near. Many years later, the greats of Jazz widely regard Hawkins as a major influence in their playing. So we look back on the career as a whole with his 'Greatest Hits'.
Jazz is one of those genres that can be a little tricky to get into. There are some good starting points and Coleman Hawkins is one of em. His work isn't all that extreme and the swing and big band era material is a great focal point at Jazz's progression during the 20's and 30's. This is a good starting point for someone new getting into Jazz. So if you're looking for an album to start the journey into the strange world that is Jazz, welcome to it.
No comments:
Post a Comment