The Hawk in Hi Fi

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The Hawk in Hi Fi
The Hawk in Hi Fi.jpg
Studio album by
Coleman Hawkins with Billy Byers and His Orchestra
Released1956
RecordedJanuary 17, 18 and 20, 1956
StudioWebster Hall, NYC
GenreJazz
Length69:01 CD reissue with additional tracks
LabelRCA Victor
LPM 1281
ProducerJack Lewis
Coleman Hawkins chronology
Accent on Tenor Sax
(1955) 		The Hawk in Hi Fi
(1956) 		The Hawk in Paris
(1956)

The Hawk in Hi Fi is an album by saxophonist Coleman Hawkins with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Billy Byers. It was recorded in early 1956 and released on the RCA Victor label.[1][2][3][4]

Reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic3/5 stars[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings3.5/4 stars[6]

Scott Yanow of AllMusic states: "Hawkins is the main soloist throughout, and he was still very much in his prime 33 years after he first joined Fletcher Henderson's orchestra; in fact, the upcoming year of 1957 would be one of his finest. However, Byers' arrangements are more functional than inspired, and some of these selections are more easy listening than they are swinging".[5]

On PopMatters, Matt Cibula noted "Every song here is pretty amazing. Byers’ arrangements are like simple rings on which Hawkins’ solos are beautiful diamonds. It might get a little soupy at times but there is nothing sentimental about any of these tracks, and there is real wit and verve and intelligence behind every choice here. And when they swing, they swing it hard. 'I Never Knew' rocks along very nicely, as do a couple more Hawkins originals; 'His Very Own Blues' and a new version of 'Bean and the Boys' entitled '39"-25"-39"' must have set many a late-‘50s dancefloor on fire. The alternate takes are not revelatory—they sound a whole lot like the finished versions, with the solos maybe not quite as sharp".[7]

Track listing[]

All compositions by Coleman Hawkins except where noted

  1. "Body and Soul" (Johnny Green, Frank Eyton, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour) – 5:00
  2. "Little Girl Blue" [Take 3] (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 3:04
  3. "I Never Knew" [Take 5] (Raymond B. Egan, Roy Marsh, Tom Pitts) – 3:07
  4. "Dinner for One Please, James" [Take 3] (Michael Carr) – 3:12
  5. "The Bean Stalks Again" – 3:25
  6. "His Very Own Blues" – 3:03
  7. "The Day You Came Along" (Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow) – 4:10
  8. "Have You Met Miss Jones?" [Take 7] (Rodgers, Hart) – 3:06
  9. "The Essence of You" – 3:30
  10. "There Will Never Be Another You" (Harry Warren, Mack Gordon) – 3:00
  11. "I'm Shooting High" (Jimmy McHugh, Ted Koehler) – 2:36
  12. "39-25-39" [AKA "Bean and the Boys"] – 2:52
  13. "There Will Never Be Another You" [Alternate Take I] (Warren, Gordon) – 3:23 Additional track on CD release
  14. "There Will Never Be Another You" [Alternate Take II] (Warren, Gordon) – 3:26 Additional track on CD release
  15. "Little Girl Blue" [Take 1] (Rodgers, Hart) – 3:09 Additional track on CD release
  16. "Dinner for One Please, James" [Take 2] (Rodgers, Hart) – 3:17 Additional track on CD release
  17. "I Never Knew" [Take 2] (Egan, Marsh, Pitts) – 3:18 Additional track on CD release
  18. "Have You Met Miss Jones?" [Take 1] (Rodgers, Hart) – 3:10 Additional track on CD release
  19. "Have You Met Miss Jones?" [Alternate Take I] (Rodgers, Hart) – 3:20 Additional track on CD release
  20. "Have You Met Miss Jones?" [Alternate Take II] (Rodgers, Hart) – 2:38 Additional track on CD release
  21. "The Day You Came Along" [Alternate Take] (Johnston, Coslow) – 3:15 Additional track on CD release

Personnel[]

  • Coleman Hawkins – tenor saxophone
  • Billy Byers – arranged and conducted
  • Bernie Glow (tracks 5-6 & 11-12), Jimmy Nottingham (tracks 2-4, 10 & 13-17), Lou Oles (tracks 5-6 & 11-12), Ernie Royal (tracks 5-6 & 11-12), Charlie Shavers (tracks 5-6 & 11-12), Nick Travis (tracks 5-6 & 11-12) – trumpet
  • Urbie Green (tracks 2-6 & 10-17), Tommy Mitchell (tracks: 2-4, 10 & 13-17), Fred Ohms (tracks 2-6 & 10-17), Jack Satterfield (tracks 2-6 & 10-17), Chauncey Welsch (tracks 5-6, 11 & 12) – trombone
  • Jimmy Buffington – French horn (tracks 1, 7-9 & 18-21)
  • Don Butterfield – tuba (tracks 2-4, 10 & 13-17)
  • Julius Baker – flute (tracks 1-4, 7-10 & 13-21)
  • Sid Jekowsky – clarinet, flute (tracks 1-4, 7-10 & 13-21)
  • Phil Bodner – oboe (tracks 1-4, 7-10 & 13-21)
  • Sam Marowitz (tracks 5-6 & 11-12), Hal McKusick (tracks 5-6 & 11-12) – alto saxophone
  • Al Cohn (tracks 5-6 & 11-12), Zoot Sims (tracks 5-6 & 11-12) – tenor saxophone
  • Sol Schlinger – baritone saxophone (tracks 5-6 & 11-12)
  • Marty Wilson – vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel
  • Hank Jones – piano, celesta
  • Barry Galbraith – guitar (tracks 5-6 & 11-12)
  • Milt Hinton (tracks 5-6 & 11-12), Jack Lesberg (tracks 1, 7-9 & 18-21) – bass
  • Osie Johnson – drums
  • Phil Kraus – bells (tracks 1, 7-9 & 18-21)
  • Alvin Rudnitsky, Arnold Eidus, Dave Newman, Dave Sarser, Gene Orloff, Harry Lookofsky, Leo Kruczek, Max Cahn, Max Hollander, Paul Gershman, Stan Kraft, Cy Miroff, Tosha Samaroff – violin
  • Bert Fisch (tracks 1, 7-9 & 18-21), Izzy Zir (tracks 2-4, 10 & 13-17) – viola
  • Alan Schulman (tracks: 2-4, 10 & 13-17), Bernie Greenhouse (tracks 1, 7-9 & 18-21), Eduardo Sodero (tracks 1, 7-9 & 18-21), George Ricci (tracks 1, 7-9 & 18-21) – cello

References[]

  1. ^ RCA Victor Popular 12" LP Main Series, Part 1000. Retrieved July 10, 2017
  2. ^ Coleman Hawkins Discography. Retrieved July 10, 2017
  3. ^ Zoot Sims catalog. Retrieved July 10, 2017
  4. ^ Evensmo, J. The Tenor Sax of Coleman Hawkins Part 3: 1950–1959. Retrieved July 10, 2017
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Yanow, Scott. The Hawk in Hi Fi – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  6. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 668. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  7. ^ Cibula, M. PopMatters Review. Retrieved July 10, 2017
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