This CD is dedicated to the tenor saxophone as it replaced the trumpet’s number one spot in jazz & swing.

The two kings of tenor were Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, commonly known as Hawk & Pres. Hawk was the King of Body (hot power), & Pres, the King of Soul (passion/cool). Tenor players sprang from everywhere as clones of Hawk & Pres with variations of their personal styles.

Hawk was aggressive in playing all of the chord changes, arpeggio, up & down. His was a huge sound with lots of vibrato, which became the standard for the tenor sax. Pres was cooler, as he played laid back with a softer, flatter, & lighter sound, playing melodically over many changes His style did not gain acceptance until the 40’s, when predominantly white players, such as Woody Herman, & the Four Brothers imitated him. Later, most importantly of all, came a group of Black tenor players exemplified by Dexter Gordon & Illinois Jacquet, who combined the two styles.

The tenor sax is the kingdom of these two, Hawk & Pres. All others are subjects of the Kings. “Once upon a time…”

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