Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed Hawk… Read Full Bio ↴Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed Hawk and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. While Hawkins is strongly associated with the swing music and big band era, he had a role in the development of bebop in the 1940s.
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.

Take The "A" Train
Coleman Hawkins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You must take the "A" train
To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem
If you miss the "A" train
You`ll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem
Hurry, get on, now it`s coming
Listen to those rails a-thrumming
All aboard, get on the "A" train
Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem

Overall Meaning

The above lyrics are from Coleman Hawkins's song "Take The A Train." The song is an invitation to join the ride on the A train to go all the way up to Sugar Hill in Harlem. Hawkins invites his listeners to hurry and get on the train before they miss the quickest way to Harlem. He emphasizes that the A train is the best and quickest mode of transportation to take them to Harlem, an area famous for its rich culture, music, and art. The train's sound is personified as a living organism with its rapid and rhythmic beat that pushes the song forward. The lyrics are crafted in such a way that they inspire the listener to jump on board the train and experience the excitement and magic of Harlem.

The A train became a vital part of the New York City transportation system, connecting Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, and eventually running all the way up to Harlem. At the time, Harlem had become a hub of African American music, culture, and art. Ellington had originally written this song as a tribute to this exciting time, and Hawkins, a tenor saxophonist, recorded the definitive version of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

You must take the "A" train
The only way to reach Sugar Hill in Harlem is by taking the "A" train.

To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem
Sugar Hill is a neighborhood located in Harlem.

If you miss the "A" train
If you fail to take the "A" train, you will not be able to arrive at Sugar Hill quickly.

You`ll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem
The "A" train is the fastest way to Harlem and not taking it would be a mistake.

Hurry, get on, now it`s coming
The train is approaching, so hurry and get on quickly.

Listen to those rails a-thrumming
The sound of the approaching train can be heard, with the rails vibrating as the train moves along them.

All aboard, get on the "A" train
Everyone should get on the "A" train now because it is the only way to reach Sugar Hill in Harlem.

Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem
By taking the "A" train, you will soon arrive at Sugar Hill, a neighborhood in Harlem.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir One Music
Written by: BILLY STRAYHORN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS