Coleman Hawkins & Frank Wess - The Tenor Sax: The Commodore Years

A substantial two-record anthology devoted to two major tenor saxophone voices: Coleman Hawkins and Frank Wess. Part of Atlantic’s The Commodore Years series, this collection draws from the celebrated Commodore Records catalog and places Hawkins’ foundational swing-era tenor alongside the sophisticated, blues-rich playing of Wess.

The Coleman Hawkins selections feature an extraordinary cast of jazz greats, including Roy Eldridge, Benny Carter, Art Tatum, Oscar Pettiford, Sidney Catlett, Edmond Hall, Cootie Williams, Bernard Addison, and John Kirby. The Frank Wess sessions feature musicians including Joe Wilder, Urbie Green, Benny Powell, Jimmy Jones, Osie Johnson, and Henry Coker. Together, the set provides a fascinating bridge from classic swing into the modern jazz language that followed.

Highlights include “The Sheik of Araby,” “Dedication,” “Esquire Blues,” “Mop Mop,” “I Surrender Dear,” “Smack,” “Good Queen Bess,” “My Ideal,” “Esquire Bounce,” “The Man I Love,” “Blue Moon,” “I’m Beginning to See the Light,” “East Wind,” and “Some Other Spring.” The gatefold package also includes extensive historical liner notes, session information and archival photography.