Coleman Hawkins Biography

Saxophonist / Bandleader / Jazz Musician

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.