Coleman Hawkins on Bluebird

[beaumonde]

Another pair from the batch with my Victor V (not that I'd ever play this or the Glenn Millers with a heavy sound box; sorry, Henry!).

Coleman Hawkins and His Orchestra

Body and Soul (Bluebird B-10523-A; 10/11/39)

Fine Dinner (Hawkins composition) (Bluebird B-10523-B; 10/11/39)

(Thanks, Viva-tonal -- see matrices, below)

[Viva-Tonal]

From 78discography.com:

'Body and soul' BS.042936-1

'Fine dinner' BS.042934-2

Both the same date.

Also re-issued on RCA Victor 20-2539 circa 1947.

[Henry]

Hi Adam,

This is the absolutely definitive version of "Body and Soul" by a supreme master! It's included in the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz album, and for good reason: nobody played it like The Hawk. The release (the "B" section in A-A-B-A song form) has a rather complex harmonic scheme, and Hawk's melody sails over the underlying chord progressions like child's play.

So Adam, from your excellent transfer this platter sounds to be in exceptionally good shape despite having been previously played on the Victor V, no?

[beaumonde]

So Adam, from your excellent transfer this platter sounds to be in exceptionally good shape despite having been previously played on the Victor V, no?

No, only on my Numark. It is pretty pristine, so I don't think it had been played before much at all. The guy from whom I bought the Vic V had (in another room of his basement) dozens of 78s he had never played but had picked up over the years in antique stores, etc. I cherry-picked about 25 of them and he "threw them in" with the phonograph deal.

I did play all of the earlier discs on the V, though, acoustic and electric (from up to the early '30s), but with an HMV No. 4 sound box...