Coleman Hawkins whose improvisational mastery of the tenor saxophone, which had previously been viewed as little more than a novelty, helped establish it as one of the most popular instruments in jazz. He was the first major tenor saxophonist in the history of jazz, and remains one of the greatest of all time. His version of “Body and Soul” is thought by some to be the harbinger of “bebop” virtually devoid of New Orleans stylings or traditional swing conventions of the twenties and thirties. Col

Today, we're celebrating Coleman Hawkins, who was born on this day in 1904! If you're not familiar with his playing, be sure to check out his 1939 recording, Body and Soul, which is considered to be one of the most important recordings in the history of jazz. #colemanhawkins #tenorsax #saxophone #sax #bettersax | Better Sax