The Hawk Relaxes (Remastered 2026) Coleman Hawkins

• 1 I'll Never Be The Same (Remastered 2026) 06:12
• 2 When Day Is Done (Remastered 2026) 04:28
• 3 Under A Blanket Of Blue (Remastered 2026) 04:39
• 4 More Than You Know (Remastered 2026) 04:12
• 5 Moonglow (Remastered 2026) 06:00
• 6 Just A Gigolo (Remastered 2026) 05:04
• 7 Speak Low (Remastered 2026) 06:44
• Total Runtime 37:19

Info for The Hawk Relaxes (Remastered 2026)

It is said that one grows wiser and mellower with age, as proven by this recording from Coleman Hawkins that is a successful follow-up to his previous Moodsville album At Ease. There is a difference, as Kenny Burrell joins the legendary tenor saxophonist in this quintet setting, with no threat of upstaging or even a hint of any real showcasing of the guitarist’s then developing laid-back side. Underrated Ronnell Bright is on the piano, and also proves a veritable equal to Hawkins even more than Burrell. But it is the burgeoning talent of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Andrew Cyrille who mark their territory, not as the maverick individualists they would become, but as supple performers who understand the strength of Hawkins from a modest standpoint. Not all ballads, the fare is standard American popular song played for people sitting by the fire, the calm ocean, or late at night with a sweetheart over candles and wine. Any version of a well-known tune can be made classic by Hawkins, as heard during the somber "I’ll Never Be The Same," the straight ballad "Under a Blanket of Blue" with the tenor’s slight fluttery trills, or "Just a Gigolo" where the spotlight is firmly focused on the leader’s droll tones. Burrell’s strumming on "When Day Is Done" signifies a downplayed, wound down feeling, and where he generally chooses a sublimated role in these recordings, he does come out with a strong lead melody for the soulful ballad "More Than You Know." The modified tunes on the session are the midtempo take of "Moonglow" as Hawkins adopts some of Lester Young’s swagger as Cyrille’s nimble brushwork keeps the song moving forward. "Speak Low" is interpreted in a sleek and seductive calypso beat ably conjured by the drummer, a nice touch to end the album. This quintet — as unique as any Hawkins ever fronted — speaks to his open mindedness, but more so to his innate ability in adapting musicians to his situational hitting. The Hawk Relaxes is one of his best latter period efforts.

Coleman Hawkins, tenor saxophone
Ronnell Bright, piano
Kenny Burrell, guitar
Ron Carter, bass
Andrew Cyrille, drums

Recorded February 28, 1961 at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Produced by Esmond Edwards

Digitally remastered

Coleman Hawkins
was born in St. Joseph Missouri in 1904. He attended High School in Topeka Kansas, and subsequently had two years of college music education at Washburn College. Shortly after this period, he would relocate to New York City, where he would begin a long and prosperous tenure with Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra. He would come in contact with Louis Armstrong during this time, and it would have an incredible impact on Hawkins. He would later go on to tour extensively in Europe before returning to America for another long stretch. Coleman Hawkins is thought of as the first person to bring the tenor saxophone to prominence in jazz music. There were players before him, but he is often credited as being the first to demand that the instrument be taken seriously. His virtuosic approach to improvisation, often consisting of advanced harmonies and arpeggios, was among the first styles to be tailored precisely to the tenor sax. Coleman Hawkins would also go on to be a pioneer of the bebop style, associating with musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker and others.

This album contains no booklet.