Fellow saxophonist Lester Young, known as "Pres", commented in a 1959 interview with The Jazz Review: "As far as I'm concerned, I think Coleman Hawkins was the President first, right? As far as myself, I think I'm the second one." Miles Davis once said: "When I heard Hawk, I learned to play ballads."
One of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument, as Joachim E. Berendt explained: "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn".
Hawkins was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri, in 1904. Although some sources say 1901, there is no evidence to prove an earlier date; instead, there is record of Hawkins's parents' first child, a girl, being born in 1901 and dying at the age of two, possibly basis for the mistaken belief. He was named Coleman after his mother Cordelia's maiden name.
He attended high school in Chicago, then in Topeka, Kansas at Topeka High School. He later stated that he studied harmony and composition for two years at Washburn College in Topeka while still attending high school. In his youth he played piano and cello and started playing saxophone at the age of nine; by the age of fourteen he was playing around eastern Kansas.
Hawkins's first major gig was with Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds in 1921, and he was with the band full time from April 1922 to 1923, when he settled in New York City. In the Jazz Hounds, he coincided with Garvin Bushell, Everett Robbins, Bubber Miley and Herb Flemming, among others. Hawkins joined Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, where he remained until 1934, sometimes doubling on clarinet and bass saxophone. Hawkins's playing changed significantly during Louis Armstrong's tenure with the Henderson Orchestra (1924–25). In the late 1920s, Hawkins also participated in some of the earliest interracial recording sessions with the Mound City Blue Blowers. During his time with Henderson, he became a star soloist with an increasing amount of solos space on records. While with the band, he and Henry "Red" Allen recorded a series of small group sides for ARC (on their Perfect, Melotone, Romeo, and Oriole labels). Hawkins also recorded a number of solo recordings, with either piano or with a pick-up band of Henderson's musicians in 1933–34, just prior to his period in Europe. He was also featured on a Benny Goodman session on February 2, 1934 for Columbia, which also featured Mildred Bailey as guest vocalist.
In late 1934, Hawkins accepted an invitation to play with Jack Hylton's orchestra in London, and toured Europe as a soloist until 1939, performing and recording with Django Reinhardt and Benny Carter in Paris in 1937. Following his return to the United States, on October 11, 1939, he recorded a two-chorus performance of the pop standard "Body and Soul", which he had been performing at Bert Kelly's New York venue, Kelly's Stables. In a landmark recording of the swing era, recorded as an afterthought at the session, Hawkins ignores almost all of the melody, with only the first four bars stated in a recognizable fashion. In its exploration of harmonic structure it is considered by many to be the next evolutionary step in jazz recording after Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues" in 1928.
After an unsuccessful attempt to establish a big band, he led a combo at Kelly's Stables on Manhattan's 52nd Street with Thelonious Monk, Oscar Pettiford, Miles Davis, and Max Roach as sidemen. Hawkins always had a keen ear for new talent and styles, and he was the leader on what is generally considered to have been the first ever bebop recording session in 1944 with Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach. Later he toured with Howard McGhee and recorded with J. J. Johnson and Fats Navarro. He also toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic.
After 1948 Hawkins divided his time between New York and Europe, making numerous freelance recordings. In 1948 Hawkins recorded "Picasso", an early piece for unaccompanied saxophone.
Hawkins directly influenced many bebop performers, and later in his career, recorded or performed with such adventurous musicians as Sonny Rollins, who considered him as his main influence, and John Coltrane. He appears on the Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane (Jazzland/Riverside) record. In 1960 he recorded on Max Roach's We Insist! suite.
In the 1950s, Hawkins performed with more traditional musicians such as Henry "Red" Allen and Roy Eldridge with whom he appeared at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival and recorded Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster with fellow tenor saxophonist Ben Webster along with Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), and Alvin Stoller (drums). In the 1960s, he appeared regularly at the Village Vanguard in Manhattan.
Meanwhile, Hawkins had began to drink heavily and his recording output began to wane. However, he did manage to record some notable albums, including an album for the Impulse! label with Duke Ellington. His last recording was in 1967.
With failing health, Hawkins succumbed to pneumonia in 1969 and is interred in the Yew Plot at the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.
The Song of the Hawk, a 1990 biography written by British jazz historian John Chilton, chronicles Hawkins's career as one of the most significant jazz performers of the 20th century.
Someone to Watch Over Me
Coleman Hawkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still were often told, seek and ye shall find
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind
Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet
Hes the big affair I cannot forget
Only man I ever think of with regret
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
There's a somebody I'm longing to see
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I know I could always be good
Someone who'll watch over me
Although he may not be the man some
Girls think of as handsome
To my heart he carries the key
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me
The lyrics to Coleman Hawkins's song "Someone to Watch over Me" portray the story of a woman who is searching for the perfect man to watch over her as she navigates life. The first verse introduces the concept of love being blind and the idea of seeking to find someone special. The woman has someone in mind, but she has not been able to find him yet. The second verse goes on to describe how this "certain lad" has captivated her, and she still thinks of him with regret. She even imagines adding his initial to her monogram. However, she is lost and in need of a shepherd to guide her.
The chorus is a plea for help. She longs to find someone who will watch over her, someone who can guide her through the ups and downs of life. She considers herself to be a little lamb, lost in the woods, but capable of being good, given the right guidance. The final verse describes the man she is looking for. He may not be physically attractive, but she sees him as the key to her heart. She begs him to speed up and follow her lead. She needs someone to watch over her.
Overall, the lyrics to "Someone to Watch over Me" express a deep desire for love and acceptance, as well as a need for guidance and support. The woman in the song longs for someone to be her protector and to help her navigate the often difficult waters of life.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a saying old says that love is blind
There is an old proverb that love is blind. It means that love does not depend on physical attraction and is often irrational.
Still were often told, seek and ye shall find
Despite the saying, we are often told to actively search for love and we will eventually find it.
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind
I have a specific person in mind that I want to search for and find.
Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet
Despite searching everywhere, I have not yet found the person I am looking for.
He's the big affair I cannot forget
The person I am searching for is someone very important to me, and I cannot forget about them.
Only man I ever think of with regret
This person is the only man I have ever thought of with regret, meaning that losing them would be a great loss.
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
I want to add this person's first initial to my monogram, indicating that we are connected in some way.
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?
Metaphorically I am like a lost lamb searching for guidance, and I am wondering where the person who can guide me is.
There's a somebody I'm longing to see
I am longing to see this specific person I am searching for.
I hope that he turns out to be
I am hoping that this person will be the one who can care for me and protect me.
Someone who'll watch over me
I want this person to watch over me because I am vulnerable and in need of guidance.
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
Metaphorically I am like a little lamb who is lost in the woods, indicating that I am lost and in need of guidance.
I know I could always be good
I know that I am capable of being good, but I need someone to help guide me in doing so.
Someone who'll watch over me
I need someone to watch over me because I am feeling lost and vulnerable.
Although he may not be the man some
Although this person may not be the person who others consider to be physically attractive or ideal.
Girls think of as handsome
Other girls may not find this person physically attractive.
To my heart he carries the key
Despite not being physically attractive, this person has the key to my heart and is important to me.
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
I am asking for help in speeding up this person's journey to find me.
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
I need this person to follow my lead and find me, indicating how much I desire to be with them.
Someone to watch over me
Ultimately, I need someone to watch over and guide me because I am lost and vulnerable.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Chapman
1942 live version of stuffy is pretty good too not sure but i think he was playing to the troops took me a long time to realise exactly what it was had it on cassette from the radio in 89
SELMER B.Action
The Boss
John Benn
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a mad keen 74yo Aussie fan.
Melina Karakas
Ella fitzgerald