Coleman Hawkins – Picasso

In an article for Metronome magazine in May, 1944, critic Harry Lim dubbed American saxophonist Coleman Hawkins “the Picasso of Jazz,” so it’s fitting that this musician likened to a pioneering artistic figure would serve to introduce one of jazz’s most legendary producer’s to modernism through his sound. Norman Granz credited Hawkins with this opening saying, “I heard ‘Body and Soul’! That introduced me to real jazz.” Granz went on to feature Hawkins frequently on his influential Jazz At The Philharmonic concert tours and would produce several recordings by the musician including a 1948 piece titled “Picasso.” With its sensuous, expressive lines the solo tenor saxophone recording feels as if it has sprung to life extemporaneously, when in fact it was the result of intensive planning. Its namesake artist was also known for his dedication to a process that often included creating many iterations of a work in order to reach a final stage that felt spontaneous and elemental. In Pablo Picasso’s later years he and Granz would become close friends and the jazz pioneer amassed a large collection of the artist’s work.