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.
Street of Dreams
Coleman Hawkins Lyrics
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Come on and trade in your old dreams for new
Your new dreams for old
I know where they're bought
I know where they're sold
Midnight, you've got to get there at midnight
And you'll be met there by others like you
Brothers as blue
Love laughs at a king
Kings don't mean a thing
On the street of dreams
Dreams broken in two can be made like new
On the street of dreams
Gold, sliver and gold
All you can hold is in the moonbeams
Poor, no one is poor
Long as love is sure
On the street of dreams
Midnight, look at the steeple, it's midnight
Unhappy people, it's ringing with joy
It's ringing with cheer
'Cause yesterday's gone
Tomorrow is near
Midnight, the heart is lighter at midnight
Things will be brighter the moment you find
More of your kind
Smiling on the street of dreams
Love laughs at a king
Kings don't mean a thing
On the street of dreams
Dreams broken in two can be made like new
On the street of dreams
Gold, sliver and gold
All you can hold is in the moonbeams
Poor, no one is poor
Long as love is sure
On the street of dreams
The song "Street of Dreams" by Coleman Hawkins is a melancholic and soulful reflection on the value of dreams and love in our lives. The lyrics start with an invitation to trade in old dreams for new ones at midnight, a symbolic time of transition that marks the end of one day and the beginning of another. The singer knows where dreams are bought and sold, suggesting that the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment is one that can be commercialized and commodified. Yet, the quest for meaning and purpose cannot be bought with money or material possessions.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of love as the ultimate source of value and happiness in life. It mocks the idea that kings and wealth have any real worth, highlighting the futility of pursuing social status or material wealth in the absence of love. The singer suggests that even broken dreams can be made new on the street of dreams, giving hope to those who have lost their way or given up on their aspirations. The song's final lines celebrate the idea that love transcends all boundaries of social class and wealth, making it possible for even the poorest person to find joy and fulfillment on the street of dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight, you heavy laden, it's midnight
It's late at night, you're carrying a lot of emotional baggage, and you feel burdened.
Come on and trade in your old dreams for new
Let go of your old aspirations and create new ones.
Your new dreams for old
Reevaluate your newfound desires for your past ones.
I know where they're bought
I know exactly where you can find new dreams.
I know where they're sold
I know who can help you realize your dreams.
Midnight, you've got to get there at midnight
You need to arrive at the right time for your dreams to come true.
And you'll be met there by others like you
You will be greeted by people who share your struggles and desires.
Brothers as blue
People who feel just as sad and lonely as you.
Smiling on the street of dreams
Sharing positivity and happiness on the path to realizing your dreams.
Love laughs at a king
Love is more powerful than any worldly authority.
Kings don't mean a thing
Money and fame are not as valuable as love.
Dreams broken in two can be made like new
Even if your dreams seem shattered and unattainable, they can be mended and reimagined.
Gold, silver and gold
Material possessions are not the key to happiness.
All you can hold is in the moonbeams
The true treasures of life are intangible and cannot be touched.
Poor, no one is poor
As long as there is love, no one will feel truly impoverished.
Long as love is sure
As long as love is certain, there will be meaning and happiness.
Midnight, look at the steeple, it's midnight
It's the best time to find a new sense of direction and hope for the future.
Unhappy people, it's ringing with joy
Even people who feel sad and lost can experience the joy of hope and new beginnings.
It's ringing with cheer
The world feels full of happiness and positivity.
'Cause yesterday's gone
The past is not worth dwelling on; it's time to move forward.
Tomorrow is near
The future is rapidly approaching and it's full of opportunity and hope.
Midnight, the heart is lighter at midnight
The late hour can bring a sense of peace and relief for the soul.
Things will be brighter the moment you find
Once you rediscover your passion and purpose, life will feel much more fulfilling and positive.
More of your kind
Finding people who share your outlook on life will make everything easier and more meaningful.
Smiling on the street of dreams
Sharing the joy of realizing your dreams with people who supported you through the journey.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind