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AAA 100% Analogue This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head

Analogue Productions  - AIPJ 34 - 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl 

1000 Numbered Limited Edition - 45RPM - Two Disc  

Mastered By Steve Hoffmann & Kevin Gray at AcousTech Mastering

AAA 100% Analague Pressed at RTI  - Impulse A-34

Last but not least is the quality of the recording itself. It is very alive, very quiet, with great bass and a very lifelike soundstage. This LP is highly recommended. Jack Roberts Dagogo

Coleman Hawkins recorded three sessions for Impulse Records in the early to mid '60's. Of the three, Today And Now is the most compelling and the unusual choice of repertoire is what sets the album apart. The Hawk plays with an abandon that is altogether effortless throughout and his versions of the traditional song "Go Li'l Liza" and the fairly obscure Quincy Jones ballad "Quintessence" are creatively rendered. His band consisting of pianist Tommy Flanagan, bass player Major Holley and drummer Eddie Locke, back the tenor king here with a similar imaginative approach. A largely impromptu session, each song develops and evolves with each chorus, and it would serve as one of Hawkins' last great records."Today and Now" was an interesting choice for Analogue Productions to include in their Impulse  series. It vividly recaptures the sound and mood of an afternoon in Rudy Van Gelder’s recording studio with Coleman Hawkins in a late—but very productive—phase of his career. BACKGROUND

"Today and Now" was not an all-star blowing session of the kind Norman Granz frequently arranged during the 1950s. Session producer Bob Thiele called the September 1962 date for Coleman Hawkins’ regular group of Tommy Flanagan, piano, Major Holley, Jr., bass and Eddie Locke, drums. When the musicians arrived, Thiele handed out lead sheets for a selection of recent jazz compositions, lesser-known standards and what could be called “folk” tunes. Here is the art of the A&R man: Thiele trusted that Hawkins’ legendary ability to sight read a chart once and then perform it was undimmed by the passing of years. Providing unfamiliar but interesting material, in a setting where the artists felt comfortable and respected, the producer set the stage for a productive recording session.    The results surpassed the expectations of all the participants. Hawkins turned in one of his most technically accomplished and musically satisfying performances in years. His embouchure and intonation are that of a man years younger, with far fewer miles and hardships. On this recording his playing is superior to even the best work he recorded for Riverside several years earlier, including his 1957 sessions with Thelonious Monk and “The Hawk Flies High” from 1958.

“Today and Now” is something of a misnomer, as most of the tunes date from ‘yesterday and then’. The lively opener, Go Lil Liza, an adapted traditional children’s song, is a showcase for Hawkins’ bluesy tenor and Major Holley’s bowed bass with unison vocal – a throwback to the swinging numbers Hawkins played in the earliest days of his career. Three ballads follow: Quintessence, Don’t Love Me and Love Song from ‘Apache’. In each, Hawkins delivers the melodies with minimal improvisation in luscious, vocal phrasing; you can almost hear the lyrics floating underneath the dark, cello timbres of the tenor sax. Flanagan further develops the harmonies in elegant solos. The last three numbers, Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet, Swingin’ Scotch (based on ‘Loch Lomond’) and Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree, showcase Hawkins’ genius at spinning imaginative harmonic variations on simple chord progressions. He goes chorus after chorus on ‘Grey Bonnet’, passing through major scale runs into blues shouts, running up tight rhythmic clusters, until Flanagan finally calls him home with a flourishing turnaround. 

Earlier in 1962, Moodsville producer Esmond Edwards had recorded the same working quartet at Van Gelder’s studio in sessions themed on Broadway musicals., displays the band’s prowess with standards and show tunes, and is highly recommended for performance and sound quality) The “Today and Now” session was the fourth time Hawkins’ working quartet visited RVG’s studio that year. The telepathic communication between Hawkins and Flanagan, and the sheer effortlessness of Hawkins’ own playing must have benefitted from those frequent opportunities to record in collaboration with creative A&R men like Thiele and Edwards. Analogue Productions' careful transfer presents the nuances of one of the most significant tenor voices of his generation.

In 1962 Coleman Hawkins enjoyed an autumnal career renaissance. He was performing at peak musical level and recording frequently with a stable and stimulating working group. “Today and Now” captures the Hawk in graceful flight.

Last but not least is the quality of the recording itself. It is very alive, very quiet, with great bass and a very lifelike soundstage. This LP is highly recommended.Jack Roberts Dagogo

Coleman Hawkins Today And Now 

1. Go Li'l Liza
2. Quintessence
3. Don't Love Me
4. Love Song From 'Apache'
5. Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet
6. Swingin' Scotch
7. Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree