COLEMAN HAWKINS & RAY BRYANT - Complete Recordings
Solar Records 4569966 (3 CD Set)
Coleman Hawkins ( tnr ) & Ray Bryant ( pno ) on all tracks
CD One Tracks 1 to 7
Soul
Kenny Burrell ( gtr ) Wendell Marshall ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded Hackensack, New Jersey, 7 November 1958
CD One Tracks 8 to 11 & CD Two tracks 1 & 2
Tiny Grimes with Coleman Hawkins / Blues Groove
Tiny Grimes ( gtr ) Musa Kaleem ( fl ) Earl Womack ( bass ) Teagle Fleming Jnr. ( drs )
Recorded Hackensack, New Jersey, 28 February 1958
CD Two tracks 3 to 8
Hawk Eyes.
Recorded Hackensack, New Jersey, 3 April 1959
CD Two tracks 9 to 11 & CD Three tracks 1 to 3
Stauch
Pepper Adams ( bar ) Jerome Richardson ( alto / fl ) Idrees Suleiman ( tpt ) Roy Gaines ( gtr ) Wendell Marshall ( bass ) Walter Bolden ( drs ) Jerry Valentine ( arr 0
Recorded Hackensack, New Jersey, 5 February 1959
CD Three tracks 4 to 9
The Coleman Hawkins All Stars at Newport 1957
Roy Eldridge ( tpt ) Pete Brown ( alto ) A McCabe ( bass ) Jo Jones ( drs )
Recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island, 5 July 1957
CD Three tracks 10 & 11
Coleman Hawkins-Roy Eldridge Quintet at Newport 1959
Roy Eldridge ( tpt ) Tommy Bryant ( bass )Oliver Jackson ( drs )
Recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island, 3 July 1959
Coleman Hawkins recorded prolifically during the Fifties and the early Sixties with mixed results but the five albums contained on this release include some of the better results. This in many ways is due to the presence of pianist Ray Bryant who appears to have an affinity with Hawkins.
The first album on the set is “Soul” which has it’s high and low points, the opening track 2Soul Blues” is too long and although Hawkins, Bryant and Burrell do their share of preaching there solos have a feeling that they are going through the motions without having a great dale to say. The two mostinteresting tracks are the standards 2I Hadn’t Anyone Till You” and “Until the Real Thing Comes Along” both have good solos by all the participants and finds Ray Bryant in particularly good form.
Kenny Burrell’s “Sunday Morning” is an interesting number and all the players respond with good solos. Hawkins gives his usual passionate rendition of “Greensleeves” a tune seems to return to often.
Tiny Grimes With Coleman Hawkins titled ”Blues Groove” is poles apart from the “Soul” album with a completely different approach. It sounds like a Tiny Grimes session with Hawkins as sideman , Musa Kaleem on flute solo space is equal to that given over to Coleman Hawkins.
All the numbers on the album appear to be aimed at the style Tiny Grimes apart from “April In Paris “ on which he doesn’t seem comfortable.
Although Tiny Grimes as a down home style on guitar he is well aware of other styles of music, he did play on the early Charlie Parker sessions in the Forties.
Coleman Hawkins has a couple of very solos on “A Smooth One” and “Blues Wail”, he also plays well enough on allthe other tracks.
Ray Bryant is outstanding both in an accompanying role and in his spot on solos.
On “Hawk Eyes” Tiny Grimes is again very much to the fore but this is a much better album with a much improved bass and drums duo. Hawkins is on much better form and the addition of Charlie Shavers on trumpet it allows for a little more variety.
The balance of the tracks are much shorter and more concise and this enhances the quality of the solos and the section work is more contained.
“Through For The Night” is a particularly good track with everybody soloing well. This number is often used by many groups as a closer for the night at live gigs but it works as well here as it has that inbuilt swing.
“La Rosita” is a number which Hawkins likes to feature and he is the only soloist and makes a fine job of it.
Mention must be made of Osie Johnson’s superb drumming throughout the whole and pianist Ray Bryant provides spot on accompaniment as well as soloing with great panache.
The album “Stasch” is a much different proposition with arrangements by Jerry Valentine and much larger group and Hawkins appears to be inspired by the other soloist which is reflected in his own solos.
“Trust In Me” is a very pleasant ballad which finds Jerome Richardson on flute and particularly inspired solos by Hawkins and Ray Bryant a most satisfying track.
“Serouk” is a hard swinging track with robust solos from Jerome Richardson on alto followed by Hawkins at his most fluent.
We are back to a more rhapsodic Hawkins on “Since I Fell For You” with explicit contributions from Jerome Richardson and Idrees Sulieman.
This is probably the most satisfying album on this three disc setand where all the other members of the group are in full accord.
The final tracks on the this disc are taken from two Newport Jazz Festival appearances and typical of these occasions with plenty of playing to the gallery. The most interesting feature is the appearance of altoist Pete Brown on the 1957 festival who was inspiration for many alto players but unfortunately he sounds out of sorts and not at his best.
Three of the numbers on the 1957 appearance are ballads given over to the three members of the front line with Pete Brown’s contribution being the weakest.
The 1959 appearance is much more relaxed affair and all the better for it and on “Soft Winds” there is a cracking piano solo from Ray Bryant.
On the whole the Newport numbers are fairly make weight but do complete the colaboration between Coleman Hawkins and Ray Bryant..
It is good to have these recordings grouped together but the recordings differ in quality, but I am sure they will be welcomed by Hawkins or Bryant fans.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Solar Records 4569966 (3 CD Set)
Coleman Hawkins ( tnr ) & Ray Bryant ( pno ) on all tracks
CD One Tracks 1 to 7
Soul
Kenny Burrell ( gtr ) Wendell Marshall ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded Hackensack, New Jersey, 7 November 1958
CD One Tracks 8 to 11 & CD Two tracks 1 & 2
Tiny Grimes with Coleman Hawkins / Blues Groove
Tiny Grimes ( gtr ) Musa Kaleem ( fl ) Earl Womack ( bass ) Teagle Fleming Jnr. ( drs )
Recorded Hackensack, New Jersey, 28 February 1958
CD Two tracks 3 to 8
Hawk Eyes.
Recorded Hackensack, New Jersey, 3 April 1959
CD Two tracks 9 to 11 & CD Three tracks 1 to 3
Stauch
Pepper Adams ( bar ) Jerome Richardson ( alto / fl ) Idrees Suleiman ( tpt ) Roy Gaines ( gtr ) Wendell Marshall ( bass ) Walter Bolden ( drs ) Jerry Valentine ( arr 0
Recorded Hackensack, New Jersey, 5 February 1959
CD Three tracks 4 to 9
The Coleman Hawkins All Stars at Newport 1957
Roy Eldridge ( tpt ) Pete Brown ( alto ) A McCabe ( bass ) Jo Jones ( drs )
Recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island, 5 July 1957
CD Three tracks 10 & 11
Coleman Hawkins-Roy Eldridge Quintet at Newport 1959
Roy Eldridge ( tpt ) Tommy Bryant ( bass )Oliver Jackson ( drs )
Recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island, 3 July 1959
Coleman Hawkins recorded prolifically during the Fifties and the early Sixties with mixed results but the five albums contained on this release include some of the better results. This in many ways is due to the presence of pianist Ray Bryant who appears to have an affinity with Hawkins.
The first album on the set is “Soul” which has it’s high and low points, the opening track 2Soul Blues” is too long and although Hawkins, Bryant and Burrell do their share of preaching there solos have a feeling that they are going through the motions without having a great dale to say. The two mostinteresting tracks are the standards 2I Hadn’t Anyone Till You” and “Until the Real Thing Comes Along” both have good solos by all the participants and finds Ray Bryant in particularly good form.
Kenny Burrell’s “Sunday Morning” is an interesting number and all the players respond with good solos. Hawkins gives his usual passionate rendition of “Greensleeves” a tune seems to return to often.
Tiny Grimes With Coleman Hawkins titled ”Blues Groove” is poles apart from the “Soul” album with a completely different approach. It sounds like a Tiny Grimes session with Hawkins as sideman , Musa Kaleem on flute solo space is equal to that given over to Coleman Hawkins.
All the numbers on the album appear to be aimed at the style Tiny Grimes apart from “April In Paris “ on which he doesn’t seem comfortable.
Although Tiny Grimes as a down home style on guitar he is well aware of other styles of music, he did play on the early Charlie Parker sessions in the Forties.
Coleman Hawkins has a couple of very solos on “A Smooth One” and “Blues Wail”, he also plays well enough on allthe other tracks.
Ray Bryant is outstanding both in an accompanying role and in his spot on solos.
On “Hawk Eyes” Tiny Grimes is again very much to the fore but this is a much better album with a much improved bass and drums duo. Hawkins is on much better form and the addition of Charlie Shavers on trumpet it allows for a little more variety.
The balance of the tracks are much shorter and more concise and this enhances the quality of the solos and the section work is more contained.
“Through For The Night” is a particularly good track with everybody soloing well. This number is often used by many groups as a closer for the night at live gigs but it works as well here as it has that inbuilt swing.
“La Rosita” is a number which Hawkins likes to feature and he is the only soloist and makes a fine job of it.
Mention must be made of Osie Johnson’s superb drumming throughout the whole and pianist Ray Bryant provides spot on accompaniment as well as soloing with great panache.
The album “Stasch” is a much different proposition with arrangements by Jerry Valentine and much larger group and Hawkins appears to be inspired by the other soloist which is reflected in his own solos.
“Trust In Me” is a very pleasant ballad which finds Jerome Richardson on flute and particularly inspired solos by Hawkins and Ray Bryant a most satisfying track.
“Serouk” is a hard swinging track with robust solos from Jerome Richardson on alto followed by Hawkins at his most fluent.
We are back to a more rhapsodic Hawkins on “Since I Fell For You” with explicit contributions from Jerome Richardson and Idrees Sulieman.
This is probably the most satisfying album on this three disc setand where all the other members of the group are in full accord.
The final tracks on the this disc are taken from two Newport Jazz Festival appearances and typical of these occasions with plenty of playing to the gallery. The most interesting feature is the appearance of altoist Pete Brown on the 1957 festival who was inspiration for many alto players but unfortunately he sounds out of sorts and not at his best.
Three of the numbers on the 1957 appearance are ballads given over to the three members of the front line with Pete Brown’s contribution being the weakest.
The 1959 appearance is much more relaxed affair and all the better for it and on “Soft Winds” there is a cracking piano solo from Ray Bryant.
On the whole the Newport numbers are fairly make weight but do complete the colaboration between Coleman Hawkins and Ray Bryant..
It is good to have these recordings grouped together but the recordings differ in quality, but I am sure they will be welcomed by Hawkins or Bryant fans.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
