Verve Jazz Masters 34 - Coleman Hawkins
Audio CD: November 8, 1994
Original Release Date: November 8, 1994 
Label: Polygram Records 
Bitrate: 160-320 kbps

Coleman Hawkins distinguished himself as a tenor saxophone soloist in jazz orchestras during the 1920s and '30s, recorded and toured in Europe for five years, then returned to America in 1939 with his own band and a hit record, "Body & Soul. " With his distinctive full-bodied sound, "Hawk" (or "Bean") was the dominant jazz saxophonist for four decades, through the periods of hot jazz, swing and bop.  He played with all the greats, from Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington to Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. 

On the positive side: 
Over an hour of varied material from the 40's thru the 60's.  Highlights includes: another rendition of the famed "Body and Soul" solo, a gorgeious duet (duel?) with Ben Webster, an awesome unaccompanied solo "Picasso", a heart-rending "Night and Day", and a total of 62 minutes of the mother of all (tenor) sax players.  There is some great piano work from Hank Jones, Tommy Flannagan and Oscar Peterson.  

On the negative side: 
There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the order of the tracks.  There is a jarring inconsistency in sound quality; to be expected on older vs newer tracks, but there seems to be some big differences in sound on cuts from the same date! And can't we use digital remastering to reduce or eliminate the jarring applause on the live tracks? Contrast this with the Decca "Coleman Hawkins in the 50's", which mixes arguably weaker commercial, bop, and swing jazz in a sequence that plays well and with a consistency of sound quality that makes for a better listening experience when playing the CD straight through.  ~ Johnny Hodges

Verve Jazz Masters 34 - Coleman Hawkins Tracks:
01  Body And Soul 3:24 
02  The Big Head 3:20 
03  Time On My Hands 2:28 
04  Rifftide (aka “Disorder At The Border") 4:24 
05  Bean And The Boys 7:02 
06  Cocktails For Two 2:39 
07  Hanid 4:50 
08  Just One Of Those Things 4:29 
09  I Only Have Eyes For You 3:09 
10  Hallelujah 3:58 
11  Night And Day 3:18 
12  ‘S Wonderful 2:56 
13  Ill Wind (You’re Blowin’ Me No Good) 5:33 
14  The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise 3:47 
15  I Wished On The Moon 3:37 
16  Picasso 3:14