Hawkins was always an open-minded musician. A very advanced player even when he first emerged with
Fletcher Henderson's orchestra in the '20s, by the '40s he may have been technically middle-aged but remained a young thinker. For his recording session of February 16, 1944, the great tenor invited some of the most promising younger players (including trumpeter
Dizzy Gillespie, bassist
Oscar Pettiford, and drummer
Max Roach) and the result was the very first bebop on records. During their two sessions, the large ensemble recorded six selections, including
Gillespie's "Woody'n You,"
Hawk's "Disorder at the Border," and a new treatment of "Body and Soul" by the tenorman that he retitled "Rainbow Mist." Also on this highly recommended CD are four titles matching together the tenors of
Hawkins,
Ben Webster, and
Georgie Auld (with trumpeter
Charlie Shavers included as a bonus) and a session from
Auld's big band, highlighted by
Sonny Berman's trumpet solo on "Taps Miller."