Coleman Hawkins—”Body & Soul” (1939)

By the summer of 1939, Missouri-born tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969) had been working in Europe for 6 years. However, Hawkins considered the political situation there more and more treatening. Therefore he decided to return to the United States before war broke out. Hawk opened with his own band at Kelly's Stable on 52nd street. And on October 11, 1939 Coleman Hawkins went into the New York RCA Studio to record THE tenor sax classic of all time: "Body And Soul."

Coleman Hawkins and his Orchestra: Tommy Lindsay and Joe Guy-trumpets; Earl Hardy-trombone; Coleman Hawkins-tenor saxophone; Jackie Fields and Eustis Moore-alto saxophones; Gene Rodgers-piano; Oscar Smith-double bass; and Arthur Herbert-drums.

Exactly 8 years earlier, "Body And Soul" had its U.S. premiere in the Broadway musical "Three Is A Crowd." The music had been composed by New Yorker Johnny Green (1908-1989) while he was in London in 1930. It was the 1939 two-chorus performance of the melody by Coleman Hawkins that transformed the tune into a landmark recording of the swing era.

During this recording fir Bluebird, Hawkins departs from the melodic themes and uses upper chord intervals. He implied passing chords which have been described by jazz author Tom Moon as "one of the early tremors of bebop."