Classic Tenors Volume 2 - Coleman Hawkins (1984) (1LP Vinyl) - Near Mint (NM)

Condition: Used

Media Condition: Near Mint (NM)

Sleeve Condition: Near Mint (NM)

Classic Tenors Volume 2 by Coleman Hawkins.

Though "Classic Tenors Volume 2" carries Coleman Hawkins as its headline name, this collection is really a gathering of the great tenor saxophone voices of the 1940s and early 1950s, drawn from original 78 rpm recordings supplied by Dan Morgenstern and Bob Thiele. Every session here was cut in New York, spanning from December 1943 through the end of 1950, and each cluster of tracks brings its own band, its own rhythm section, and its own distinct temperament.

The set opens with Hawkins himself. "Lover Come Back To Me" and "Blues Changes," recorded on 18 December 1943, place his robust, full bodied tenor at the center of a superb group featuring Oscar Pettiford on bass, the young Max Roach on drums, and Jimmy Shirley on guitar, with Ellis Larkins at the piano. It is Hawkins in his prime, muscular and lyrical at once, and the pairing of a ballad standard with a blues gives an immediate sense of his range.

Just three days later, on 21 December 1943, an entirely different tenor takes the stand. "Hello Babe" and "I'm Fer It Too," both alternative takes, feature Lester Young, whose cooler, more oblique phrasing stands in fascinating contrast to Hawkins. These sides come with a small band flavor, adding Bill Coleman on trumpet and Dickie Wells on trombone, with Freddie Green on guitar and Jo Jones on drums lending that unmistakable rhythmic lift, and Ellis Larkins again on piano.

The center of the record leaps forward to December 1950, where Julian Dash carries the tenor duties across "Creamin'," "My Silent Love," "Long Moan," and "Goin' Along." Backed by Billy Kyle on piano, Sid Weiss on bass, and Bunny Shawker on drums, these performances move between an easy, swinging warmth and a bluesier, more soulful mood, showcasing a player often heard in the Erskine Hawkins orbit stretching out on his own.

The B side then reaches back to May 1946 for a run of Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis titles that gives the album much of its playful character. "Lockjaw," "Afternoon In A Doghouse," "Surgery," and "Athlete's Foot" find Davis in bristling, hard swinging form, propelled by Sadik Hakim on piano, Gene Ramey on bass, and Denzil Best on drums. The tune titles alone hint at the rough humor and after hours energy of these sides.

Taken together, this is a compact survey of the tenor tradition, four leaders, four distinct rhythm sections, and a span of years that captures the music shifting under the players' feet. For anyone drawn to Hawkins, Young, Dash, and Davis, it offers all four in a single, thoughtfully assembled program.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Lover Come Back To Me
A2. Blues Changes
A3. Hello Babe (Alternative Take)
A4. I'm Fer It Too (Alternative Take)
A5. Creamin'
A6. My Silent Love
B1. Long Moan
B2. Goin' Along
B3. Lockjaw
B4 . Afternoon In A Doghouse
B5. Surgery
B6. Athlete's Foot

Credits:
Al Hall - Bass (A3, A4)
Gene Ramey - Bass (B3 to B6)
Oscar Pettiford - Bass (A1, A2)
Sid Weiss - Bass (A5 to B2)
Bunny Shawker - Drums (A5 to B2)
Denzil Best - Drums (B3 to B6)
Jo Jones - Drums (A3, A4)
Max Roach - Drums (A1, A2)
Freddie Green - Guitar (A3, A4)
Jimmy Shirley - Guitar (A1, A2)
Billy Kyle - Piano (A5 to B2)
Ellis Larkins - Piano (A1 to A4)
Sadik Hakim - Piano (B3 to B6)
Coleman Hawkins - Tenor Saxophone (A1, A2)
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Tenor Saxophone (B3 to B6)
Julian Dash - Tenor Saxophone (A5 to B2)
Lester Young - Tenor Saxophone (A3, A4)
Dickie Wells - Trombone (A3, A4)
Bill Coleman (2) - Trumpet (A3, A4)

Notes:
Original 78 rpm recordings provided by Dan Morgenstern and Bob Thiele.

A1, A2 recorded 18 Dec. 1943
A3, A4 recorded 21 Dec. 1943
A5, A6, B1, B2 recorded Dec. 1950
B3 - B6 recorded May 1946
All recorded in New York

Artist: Coleman Hawkins

Supporting Artists: Lester Young, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Julian Dash

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Doctor Jazz

Catalog Number: FW39519

Release Year: 1984

Country: United States