Today and Now

Occupation

• Tenor Sax: Coleman Hawkins
• Piano: Tommy Flanagan
• Bass: Major Holley
• Drums: Eddie Locke

Today and Now is a jazz album by Coleman Hawkins, on 9 and September 11, 1962 funds in the Rudy Van Studio, Englewood Cliffs was recorded in 1963 at Impulse! Records has been published. In 1996, the album was produced by Bob Thiele re-released on compact disc; as a producer was responsible for Michael Cuscuna.

Genesis

After Coleman Hawkins had recorded only one album under his own name ( The Hawk Relexes, prestige ) in 1961, was built the following year a number of own recordings of saxophonists, including three for the young label impulses. Already in January 1962 the quartet played Hawkins LP On Broadway for a prestige; after a European tour followed in August by a longer exposure to the New York club The Village Gate, where the album Hawkins! Live! At The Village Gate! ( Verve ) was recorded.

Thiele, who worked as a producer for the label pulses since November 1961, in 1962 two of his " personal hero " called, to win them to recordings for Impulse: Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins. Indeed, Thiele produced an LP of Hawkins Ellington and his musicians (Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins ) on August 18. The beginning of bossa nova wave took Thiele for the Impulse album Desafinado, the Hawkins with members of his then- working band and Barry Galbraith recorded in September 1962. Hawkins played in a quartet with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Major Holley, and drummer Eddie Locke, who accompanied him in this year, on his tours, also in September for pulses Album Today and Now, which Coleman Hawkins later described as his favorite record. In January 1963, when the Village Gate engagement ended, Hawkins broke up the quartet.

Title list

• Coleman Hawkins Quartet: Today and Now ( Impulse A ( S) -34, Impulse 11842 )

• The title 1-4 titles were 5-7 recorded on September 11, 1962 September 9, 1962.

Awards and reception of the album

Today and Now received in 1964 the Dutch Edison Jazz Award, the British music magazine Gramophone wrote in the same year, in contrast to many other recordings of his later years in which he forced either boring or too modern and " funky " sounds, this was fortunately at Today and Now is not the case, " Hawkins was captured in a moment on board, as both his enthusiasm and his sense of identity were strongest. This is without mild to depend on an exceptionally good LP, constructed on the Hawkins solos, which are built in the right degree of inevitability. He also shows that sense of light and shade, for tonal contrasts that his game is distinguished since the 1930s, " According to the author, the three titles Quintessence, Do not Love Me and Love Song are created slowly and very simple.; on the latter title Hawkins do little more than to play the theme, " but with a fullness of tone and sense of timing, what the music unmistakably makes Hawkins ," such as in the Baroque ornamentation of Do not Sit Under The Apple Tree, where " the most unbelievable converted to material in another example from the hand of the master" will. Hawkins " meanders deliziös " by the other two mentioned title, just by an extended version of Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet, which is rather like a reminiscent of Thelonious Monk blues because of made ​​a fifty -year-old pop song remember here. Most impressive was the tenor saxophonist in the more aggressive side of his style, how to. Him in the faster tracks on the album, Swingin ' Scotch and ( best of all ) hear in Go Li'l Liza Restrictive noted, the author states that Major Holley too much decay here in routine in the style of Slam Stewart, especially with its buzzing. Tommy Flanagan, however, steer " crisp, intelligent solos " at, especially in his introduction to Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet. Eddie Locke also drumming with " anerkennenswertem Swing. "

Stephen McDonald rated the album at Allmusic with four stars and is of the opinion that we are dealing with the re-release "of a very sympathetic and beautifully played recording of Coleman Haowns Quartet "; Although the album was " not the überwältigste title in Hawkins catalog, the album has but at least the advantage of both audible a deeper consideration to be worth it."

According to Teddy Doering already describes the first title Go Li'l Liza the mood of the entire album, " happily solved, swinging, and highly concentrated at the same time. " Very much to the mood would also " Holley Painted Baßsoli and Locke resilient drumming " contribute. Of a similar game entertainment Swingin ' Scotch were ( a version of the Evergreens Loch Lomond ), Apple Tree and Grey Bonnet. Quintessence, Apache, and do not love me, however, are ballads, according to Doering presented with the " at Hawkins usual depth of feeling and the perfect accompaniment of Flanagan. " The author stresses the importance of the then 32 -year-old pianist for the veteran Hawkins, for whom he support and understanding muster if it " again tried short bursts into the avant-garde. " as in Liza Hawkins had in Flanagan " a congenial dialogue partner," Doering wrote, " while Holley was one of the most reliable and most swinging bassist of those years in the mainstream sector, the original solos also able to contribute in the best Slam Stewart - style. "

Richard Cook and Brian Morton, The Penguin Guide awarded her to jazz the album as a single in Hawkins ' late work the highest mark, describe it as a great record, " despite the not very promising material "; Hawkins seemed to Put on Your Old Grey Bonnett love and sword, " as if he could play it every night. " Love Song from "Apache" draw out due to one of the finest introductions, the Tommy Flanagan have ever played. Overall, whether in Hawkins ' sound will not find the typical quaver game that makes his later recordings so annoying.

The critic Stanley Dance, described in the liner notes of the album, the playing position of the saxophonist in the last four titles with the French term " déchaîné " (English " unchained " or "let loose", German: unleashed ):