Posted on 09/05/2025 4:17:05 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Coleman Hawkins’ 1958 Verve Records classic, Coleman Hawkins And Confrères, is set to be reissued on October 24 through Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series. Pre-orders are available now.
Hawkins’ tenor saxophone playing is particularly confident and eloquent throughout the set. His group of “confreres” on the session is fortified by the Oscar Peterson Trio along with sit-in guests including Hank Jones (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Roy Eldridge and Buck Clayton (both on trumpet), and others.
The album was initially recorded across two sessions, on October 16, 1957 and February 7, 1958. Consisting of both original compositions from Hawkins and covers, highlights include a take on the big band classic, “Cocktails for Two,” the standard “Sunday,” and Hawkins’ own “Honey Flower.”
The project arrived in the middle of a wildly prolific era for the legendary musician. That date of October 16, 1957, is a particularly impressive one for Hawkins. In addition to recording the first track from Confrères, entitled “Maria,” Hawkins spent much of the day and evening in the studios recording two separate albums with producer Norman Granz for Verve Records: The Genius Of Coleman Hawkins and Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster. The day remains one of the great studio sessions of the decade.
The 52-year-old Hawkins was there, working with Oscar Peterson’s aforementioned trio. The musicians recorded twelve songs that were released as The Genius Of Coleman Hawkins, though the saxophone player saved one track for what would eventually become Coleman Hawkins And Confrères.
By that evening, Hawk and the other musicians were joined by 48-year-old Ben Webster, and the result was Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster. All seven numbers are standards, but the duo and their band bring undeniable originality to the compositions.
It’s a creativity Hawkins would bring to Coleman Hawkins And Confrères, too, which is rightfully receiving the reissue it’s deserved for a number of years. As Miles Davis once said of Hawkins, “When I heard Hawk, I learned to play ballads.” It’s easy to hear why on Coleman Hawkins And Confrères.
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My top six:
Ben Webster
Colman Hawkins
John Coltrane
Stan Getz
Dexter Gordon
Gerry Mulligan
I don’t know why, I never got into Charlie Parker. His style just never appealed to me. I loved Ben Webster, tried to imitate his style when I was learning how to play! And, I will admit, my opinion on John Coltrane is almost entirely based on his “Ballads” album.
I'd really have to think about the other three. Stan Getz is great - the opposite side from Hawkins and Webster, but not sure I'd put him in the six. Dexter Gordon, I'd have to think about him or Sonny Rollins.
I'd give Johnny Hodges consideration - he's underrated. Consider Dolphy and Sonny Stitt. Lester Young would probably be one of them.
Oh, I like Johnny Hodges and Lester Young too.
I can understand not putting Stan Getz in there, but...I gotta say, I just love his sound alone!
I love Coltrane’s “Ballads”, but some of his other stuff is a bit avant garde and a bit...I don’t know...dense. But “Ballads”? Oh man. I worship that style he plays in there.
Oh YEAAAAHHHH! One of my favorites off of that album!
My favorite song of his is, and always will be “Say It” followed closely by “Nancy” and...”It’s Easy to Remember”!
Have you heard anything from the “John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman” album?
Thanks
In college, whenever I mentioned Sonny Stitt, my stupid girlfriend would always say, “Sonny’s what?”
Sadly, Stitt is not remembered enough today.
He sounded too much like Bird on alto, but he was an original voice on tenor.
By gosh, yes! And I think it was you who recommended it to me some time ago!
Could have been. 8~)
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