Coleman "Hawk" Hawkins-Master Saxophonist

From Harlem Renaissance

"Born 1904- Died 1969 (age 65),

Tenor (what Coleman Played, A medium tone with the ability to go low and high.)

Coleman Hawkins Early Life/ Introduction to music

Coleman Randolph Hawkins was born in Saint Joesph, Missorui, grew up with his mom and dad. He got the name Coleman because his moms maiden name was Cordellia so Coleman seems right. At a young age, Coleman "Hawk" Hawkins was in love with jazz. He learned piano at 5, started playing cello at 7, and then moved on to tenor sax at age 9. As you can tell, he was a skillful child. As a Young man, he was gifted with a special talent for playing the sax. Soon he moved onto play the tenor (a lower toned saxophone). One saxophonist said that " with all due respect to Adolph Sax, Coleman Hawkins invented the sax."* In 1922 (18 years of age,) he was found by Mamie smith while playing at the Jesse Stone and his Blues Serenaders in Kansas City Theatre where he would start to play with the Jazz Hounds in which he played his first recording of a vaudeville album. He stayed with the band for one year before he left to conquer his own families. ( I am not able to locate the album title). He was in [the prime of his career for forty years.

School Years

He first went to high school at a Chicago high school. Then when he moved to Topeka, Kansas, he transferred to Topeka high school where he would join the orchestra. After he graduated, he attended Washburn College where he had been in their orchestra during high school. He attended Washburn College for two years before moving on to his musical dreams..

¿Mid-Life Crisis?

Deciding he was done with the band, Coleman Hawkins left the hounds in 1923 after he settled in New York, New York, where he would join Fletcher Henderson. He soon joined the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra where he would stay for ten years. He then was invited to play for Jack Hyltons band in england. This is when he recorded his own album "Body and Soul". Coleman is most well known for this album. He later joined Ma Rainey's band

Albums ( Non-Tribute)

• Body and Soul (1939) Body and Soul song

• Picasso (1948)

• The Hawk Flies High (1957)

• Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster (1957)

• The Genius of Coleman Hawkins (1957)

• Hawk Eyes! (1959)

• In a Mellow Tone (1960)

• Alive! (1962)

• Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (1962)

• Sonny Meets Hawk! (1963)

History of the Tenor Sax

Medium sized in the sax family, the tenor sax is the more common found sax's in music. The sax family was created by Adolph Sax. The tenor is the second most popular besides the alto. It's actually the more common sax's in big band jazz, small band and marching bands. *Quoted from "hawkins teens to men"

Sources

Coleman Hawkins Encyclopedia Info

Hawkins teens to men

Biography

All about him

Books

Leonard, Hal. The Coleman Hawkins Collection. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Publishing co., December 2003.

Chilton,, John,. Song of the Hawk. Detroit, Michagin: University of Michagin Press, March 1990.