You Can Call Him Hawk or You Can Call Him Bean or...

On Sunday, November 21, WKCR will present the annual Coleman Hawkins Birthday Broadcast.  Nicknamed "Hawk" or "Bean," Hawkins was the first true saxophone star, and he would have been 106 years old tomorrow.  His first recordings were among the most quintessential of the swing era, and his 1939 recording of “Body and Soul” was revolutionary: he only hints at the melody, instead focusing on two perfect choruses of improvisation. In the 1940s, Hawkins found himself on the forefront of the emerging bebop movement, leading bands with young musicians like Thelonious Monk, Oscar Pettiford, and Max Roach.  Hawk’s  forceful style on the saxophone remained unique throughout his career, and his influence still stretches across the jazz world today.  He died at the age of 65 on May 19. 1969. Tune in on Sunday, November 21st to hear the continuing legacy of this great musician.And click here to listen to the man play "Samba Para Bean", a 1962 recording from his Impulse album Desafinado: Bossa Nova And Jazz Samba. It's the Hawk on sax, with guitarists Barry Galbraith (lead) and Howard Collins (rhythm), Willie Rodriguez on bass and percussion, Tommy Flanagan on piano and Joe Locke on drums. WKCR is a non-commercial, student-run station affiliated with Columbia University. We broadcast to the New York City Region at 89.9 FM and over the internet at wkcr.org and on iTunes radio.