Coleman Hawkins with Clara Smith: Texas Moaner Blues, Deep Blue Sea Blues. Fletcher Henderson Orchestra: Sudbustin’ Blues, He’s the Hottest Man in Town, Doo Doodle Oom, West Indian Blues, You’ve Got to Get Hot, Old Black Joe’s Blues, Charleston Crazy, Houston Blues, Jealous, I Can’t Get The One I Want, My Papa Doesn’t Two-Time No Time, 31st St. Blues.

Listening for Hawkins you also hear not-Hawkins such as Redman, Fowler, Chambers. For most of 1924 Hawkins was still nineteen, in 1944 he was 39 playing bop, in 1964 he had popular mainstream albums. In 1924 he played tenor with a big sound consistent with his baritone and bass sax. With Clara Smith he solos at some length and also with Henderson but more in the realm of vertical rhythmic attack than of tone, like maybe Rollini’s bull in the china shop. Billy Fowler is on bass sax on several tunes.

Although it is thought that Prez represented a new direction from the Hawkins orthodoxy the opposite is true. Hawkins developed a new entertainment or novelty approach distinct from the classical approaches of Mac, Krueger or Tram. Prez was in the orthodox camp leading to Getz later. Hawk’s approach led to Rollins, Dolphy and Roland Kirk. This is similar to Clapton’s adherence to classical blues versus Hendrix expressing spectacle and entertainment. No sax section had more highly trained musicians than Redman and Hawkins. But neither followed the orthodoxy. Together they created a flood of hits. Lennon and McCartney as lead singers are not thought of as being obviously great vocalists like Burdon or Orbison. But the results put them in that category. The unorthodox Redman/Hawkins reed section -supplemented by Billy Fowler - by the results obtained is among the best all time.

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