The Hawk Flies High

by Coleman Hawkins

Overview

Coleman Hawkins' 1957 session for Riverside, aside from an oral documentary record in a short-lived series, was his only recording for the label under his name. Yet producer Orrin Keepnews had the good sense to invite the legendary tenor saxophonist to pick his own musicians, and Hawkins surprised him by asking for young boppers J.J. Johnson and Idrees Sulieman in addition to the potent rhythm section of Hank Jones, Oscar Pettiford, Barry Galbraith, and Jo Jones. The two days of sessions produced a number of strong performances, with Hawkins still very much at the top of his game, while both Johnson and Sulieman catch fire as well. Even though most of the focus was on new material contributed by the participants, the musicians quickly adapted to the unfamiliar music, especially the leader's old-fashioned swinger "Sancticity" (which sounds like it could have been part of Count Basie's repertoire) and the pianist's tightly woven bop vehicle "Chant." Hawkins was one of the great ballad interpreters, and his majestic performance of the standard "Laura" is no exception. The 2008 reissue in the Keepnews Collection series uncovered no previously unissued material, though expanded liner notes by the producer and improved 24-bit remastering make this edition an improvement over earlier versions. ~ Ken Dryden

Product Details

Release Date:	09/16/2011
Label:	Ojc
UPC:	0025218102711
Rank:	46839

Tracks

1. Chant
2. Juicy Fruit
3. Think Deep
4. Laura
5. Blue Lights
6. Sancticity

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Coleman Hawkins   Primary Artist,Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
Jo Jones   Guest Artist,Drums
Oscar Pettiford   Guest Artist,Bass
J.J. Johnson   Guest Artist,Trombone
Hank Jones   Guest Artist,Piano
Idrees Sulieman   Guest Artist,Trumpet
Barry Galbraith   Guitar
Hank Jones Great Jazz Trio   Piano

Technical Credits

Paul Bacon   Cover Photo,Cover Design
Bill Grauer, Jr.   Producer
Idrees Sulieman   Composer
Chris Clough   Project Assistant
Jack Higgins   Engineer
Joe Tarantino   Remastering
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Nick Phillips   Project Supervisor
Hank Jones   Composer
Gigi Gryce   Composer
Coleman Hawkins   Composer
David Raksin   Composer
Orrin Keepnews   Producer,Liner Notes,Reissue Producer
William Smith   Composer,Composer
Larissa Collins   Art Direction
Rikka Arnold   Editing
Shawn R. Britton   Mastering
Steve Schapiro   Photography
Paul John Weller   Cover Photo,Cover Design
Albert Roman   Project Assistant
Henry Jones   Composer
Tamaki Beck   Mastering