Coleman Hawkins: Milestones of a Legend – 17 Original Albums (10 CDs)

Tenor-saxophonist Coleman „The Hawk“ Hawkins (1904-1969)was one of the most important instrumentalists of Jazz. The„father of the saxophone“ conquered this hitherto unpopularinstrument for Jazz and influenced generations to come. He hada strong personality, a great presence, and an enormous musicalinquisitiveness, so that he remained stylistically up to date untilwell into the 1960s. From 1924 on he was a member of the newly formed FletcherHenderson Orchestra, which also included Louis Armstrong for ayear, and soon became the first major jazz ensemble. From 1934 to1939 Hawkins lived in Europe, where he enjoyed great popularityand recorded with European and American musicians. Afterreturning to New York he had to defend his throne: students likeBen Webster, Chu Berry and Buddy Tate had been able to establishthemselves during his absence. But with the phenomenal successof his „Body and Soul“ recording of 1939 and after a few jamsessions, he once again became the king of the tenor saxopho