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Today and Now | 
| Artist: Coleman Hawkins
Label: Grp
Category: Music
List Price: £20.99
Buy New: £18.09
You Save: £2.90 (14%)
New (3) Used (3) from £18.09
Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 409557
Format: Original Recording Remastered, Import
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 184
UPC: 011105018425
EAN: 0011105018425
ASIN: B000003N8C
Release Date: September 24, 1996
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 5 to 9 days
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| Tracks:
| • | Go Li'l Liza | | • | Quintessence | | • | Don't Love Me | | • | Love Song from "Apache" | | • | Put on Your Old Grey Bonnett | | • | Swingin' Scotch | | • | Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) - Coleman Hawkins Quartet |
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| Customer Reviews:
so-so saxophone from the hawk January 24, 2003
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Coleman Hawkins recorded this album in 1962 - his later period - with backing from the magnificent Tommy Flanagan on piano, Major Holley on bass, and Eddie Locke on the drums. Considering that Hawkins was practically the first saxophonist in jazz to realise that instrument's potential, his sound has always seemed to me fairly modern, or avant-garde. He's certainly no Louis Armstrong of the tenor sax - even though both men started recording at about the same time. I'm no musician, have no musical knowledge whatsoever, but Hawkins often sounds to me as though he's simply playing scales - just going "up and down" really. The most painful example of this is his lowly contribution to the "Ben Webster and Associates" record, on which he's pretty terrible. But on the other hand, Hawkins, when he wanted to, could really swing - check out the "Grand Reunion" record led by the wonderful Earl Hines.
On "Today and Now," Hawkins never really cuts loose. The opening "Go Li'l Liza" has a catchy kind of hook, then come three pretty ballad numbers, followed by an overlong blues called "Put on your old grey Bonnet" which could easily have been half the running time. The self-penned "Swingin' Scotch" reveals all that is worst about the Hawk's playing and writing. There's no noticeable melody, no crescendoes, no chord changes, no beboppish quirkiness, just minute on minute of Hawkins starting a "verse" (told you I was no musician) in a high register, playing lots of notes, and ending in a low register. The closer, "Don't Sit under the Apple tree," probably has the most potential for a really decent track but it feels like Hawkins' mind is elsewhere.
Flanagan is as ever superb throughout. I found myself wanting Hawkin's sax solos to be over and done with so Flanagan could begin his piano parts. But Hawkins' playing is not the worst part of this record. That dubious honour belongs with the bass playing of Holley. His playing with the ensemble is fine, but its his two solos on "Go Li'l Liza" and "Swingin' Scotch" that really grate. Now I have no problem whatsoever with the occasional bass solo, but I do have a big problem with Holley's here. He seems to be playing the bass like a cello with a bow. Ray Brown sometimes did this on some recordings of Oscar Peterson's. Another bassist called Slam Stewart did the same on some sessions with Erroll Garner, and practically ruined all the songs, rendering unlistenable. Correct me if I'm wrong but one cannot swing with a bow. Holley's god-awful solos totally halt the kinetic progress of the songs he chooses to solo on. It's actually quite embarassing to listen to.
Don't start here if you want to sample the sound of Coleman Hawkins. His reputation is so big he must have made some great albums, but I haven't found them beyond "Grand Reunion" and "Hawk Eyes."
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