Search - Coleman Hawkins :: The Centennial Collection (Bonus DVD)

Coleman Hawkins would have turned 100 in 2004, and to honor that milestone, Bluebird has put together this irresistible CD/DVD collection. Framed by two versions of "Body and Soul"--the historic 1939 effort and one from 1956--the CD provides a satisfying overview of the man who established the tenor saxophone as a soloing force in the late 1920s and was open enough to changing styles over the years to embrace the bebop innovations of Charlie Parker (even participating in a 1963 encounter (sampled here) with modernist Sonny Rollins). Bean, as he was known, recorded for many labels; these selections for RCA range far and wide, representing his stints in the bands of Fletcher Henderson and Lionel Hampton and featuring as sidemen the likes of Benny Carter, J.J. Johnson, and Fats Navarro. The DVD includes four rare, shakily preserved, but still treasurable TV performances from the 1950s that (though uncredited in the notes) find him playing with Pee Wee Russell, Lester Young, and Charlie Shavers. --Lloyd Sachs