Soul of Sax

Hawkins used his tenor
saxophone to take music
to new places

He was an original -- one of the original originals, in fact. He changed the tenor saxophone from a honking or mooing novelty to a noble, passionate voice. For five decades he ruled the roost, setting standards of musicianship and presentation. He was a hero, his name synonymous with innovation and class.

He was Coleman Hawkins, and tomorrow marks the centennial of his birth. For a two-hour musical biography, tune in to "The Real Deal" tonight at 8 on KIPO 89.3 FM. For a splendid introduction to his mature work, check out "The Centennial Collection," a new two-disc set with music from the RCA Victor archives and video clips mostly from late-'50s TV.

Having made it to New York in 1923 as a member of a road show, Hawkins settled there and soon became the star soloist of the city's top black big band, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra.

Hawkins, though, had his mind on more than dance music and jazz. He wanted to work the sophisticated harmonic structures of classical music into his improvisations, and many of his recordings find him laying complex material over comparatively simple accompaniment. Many knew him by the obvious nickname "Hawk," but musicians, in tribute to his intelligence, called him "Bean."

At the dawn of the swing era, Hawkins lit out for Europe, where he toured as a soloist for four years. Upon his return in 1939, after making the rounds and checking out his rivals, he felt -- heck, he declared -- that he still had no equals. At the end of a studio session that October, he tossed off a rendition of the pop tune "Body and Soul." Although he barely alluded to the melody during his typically rococo improvisation, it became a hit, his signature number, and the recording is still analyzed by musicians coming to grips with substitute chord changes.

But Hawkins didn't stop there. In early 1944, he led what is considered the first modern jazz, or bebop, record date, with Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet. In 1947 he recorded unaccompanied; he titled the record "Picasso" -- a tribute from one great artist to another.

All through the '50s and a good way into the '60s, he performed for top dollar, a domineering presence always immaculately dressed, his gold-plated horn singing on ballads and roaring on up-tempo tunes. He also recorded often, with combos, big bands and string orchestras. He died in 1969 at age 64.

"Body and Soul" leads off this collection, and it's never sounded better. (Music of the 1920s, '30s and '40s used to suffer terribly from insensitive digital mastering; nowadays it's more hit than miss.)

By the third track, however, we backpedal in time to 1929 and a classic session with Pee Wee Russell on clarinet. Hawkins was already an acknowledged virtuoso, while Russell exemplified the untutored, instinctual side of the musical coin, but they hit it off beautifully and waxed one of the first great ballad records, "If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight," as well as the stomping "Hello Lola."

Aside from music under Hawkins' leadership, we get a Fletcher Henderson number from 1934, two all-star tracks shepherded by vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, one selection helmed by the underrated trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen and a meeting with the much younger but similarly adventurous tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Great stuff, all of it.

Pop the second disc into your DVD player, though, and some rare treats are in store. "Wild Man Blues" is from "The Sound of Jazz," history's greatest jazz TV broadcast. "Lover Man," from the short film "Jazz After Hours," has more of Hawkins' baroque balladry.

The DVD begins, though, with three tunes from the "Jazz Party" show, recorded in 1958. Hawkins opens with a gorgeous version of "Indian Summer." The all-star band, led by trumpeter Charlie Shavers and including Russell and pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith, then takes us to "Avalon," where everything is swinging.

Then the band strikes up the blues riff "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid," and the camera pans so that we see none other than Lester Young, Hawkins' arch rival. The styles of these two giants were miles apart -- where "Hawk" would play strings of notes with a huge tone, "Pres," with a much lighter sound, was all cool understatement. After everyone solos, it's a battle as these jazz titans trade phrases. Young was only months from his death, weak and assumed to be washed up. In earlier years, Hawkins would disparage his playing. But here, Pres rallies.

Who wins this cutting contest? You be the judge.

Along with the Hawkins set, Bluebird has issued packages for Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Duke Ellington, each with a CD and a DVD. There are more than a dozen video clips in the Goodman set and just a few by Shaw; the music on both is great, and well chosen.

Ellington's output for Victor spanned more than 40 years; compiling just one disc of his work means omitting many masterpieces. Here we get 13 well-known tracks and seven previously unissued broadcasts, plus outstanding video including "Symphony in Black," with a young Billie Holiday, and several by his great 1941 band.

Get just one or get them all, but get swinging!