Class: Introduction to Jazz  

Prof. Aidan O’Donnell 

Assignment: Compare and Contrast 2: Coleman Hawkins and Lester young 

Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young were both important tenor saxophonists in jazz history whose styles shifted the instrument’s role to prominence and inspired sound in distinct ways. Hawkins has a robust and rich sound often playing with a tone that is robust dominant. His approach often featured a thick and resonant quality that projected powerfully. Through his commanding performances, like those with the Count Basie Big Band, he helped solidify the tenor saxophone as a “jazz instrument.” Young, on the other hand, had a lighter and finer tone. His sound was notably airy, and possessed a smoother, yet aspirated quality compared to Hawkins. Young’s tone can be described as more melodically expressive and subtle. Young also remains in the upper register of the instrument more frequently than Hawkins, whose full-bodied richness sits in contrast. Hawkins’ playing style has a keen sense of swing and a robust, driving rhythmic approach. His phrasing often leaned towards a more assertive, forceful delivery but remained harmonic rather than melodic whilst improvising. Young, on the other hand, had a more relaxed rhythmic sense, while still maintaining a swing to it. He introduced easy lightness into his playing, often favoring flowing melodic improvisations, which break farther from the tight meter of the swing rhythms.  Personally, I find that Hawkins’ playing often carries a sense of assertiveness and emotional urgency. His passionate delivery evokes a sense of urgency and intensity in me. He also does not shy away from notes that last longer and may move outside of the chords being played. On the other hand, Young’s style is pretty and light. There is an emotional subtlety he creates, which lends a more relaxed and introspective mood to his music.  

Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young have remarkably different styles on the tenor saxophone. Hawkins’ bold sound, which bellows at times, contrasts sharply with Young’s more delicate and technical approach, which is not to call Hawkins unskilled technically. While Hawkins often intense musical expression parries Young’s more relaxed and nuanced delivery, Young still leaves room emotion, though with less pressure to meet the intensity of the performance. The variations in their styles as contained within the timbre, rhythmic approach, vibrato, and emotional content can still be heard within the many generations of tenor saxophonists and other soloists inspired by their techniques and voices.