Originally released on Impulse! in 1965, Wrapped Tight arrived late in Coleman Hawkins’ influential career and was the final album released under his name as a bandleader during his lifetime. Produced by Bob Thiele, the LP found the tenor saxophonist continuing to evolve decades after first emerging as one of the instrument’s most important innovators.
Hawkins is joined on the album by trumpeters Bill Berry and Snooky Young, trombonist Urbie Green, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Buddy Catlett, and drummer Eddie Locke.
The record’s selections span standards, vintage film music, and Hawkins’ own compositions. Among them is “Intermezzo,” written by Heinz Provost and used in the 1936 Swedish film of the same name as well as its 1939 American remake. Hawkins also takes on standards including “Red Roses for a Blue Lady” (released in 1948 by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennet) and “I Won’t Dance” (composed by Jerome Kern in 1935), while contributing his original composition “She’s Fit.”
Wrapped Tight arrived more than four decades into Hawkins’ recording career. Nicknamed “Hawk,” the musician helped establish the tenor saxophone as a major voice in jazz, beginning during the swing era and continuing through the emergence of bebop and modern jazz. His influence extended to generations of saxophonists who followed him. Miles Davis once said of Hawkins, “When I heard Hawk, I learned to play ballads.”
The new Wrapped Tight edition is mastered from the original analog tapes by Matthew Lutthans and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP). It comes housed in a high-quality tip-on gatefold jacket.
The release also marks Hawkins’ latest appearance in the Verve Acoustic Sounds Series. Last year, his 1958 album Coleman Hawkins And Confrères received an audiophile reissue. That record featured Hawkins alongside the Oscar Peterson Trio and guests including Hank Jones, Herb Ellis, Roy Eldridge, and Buck Clayton. Hawkins has also appeared elsewhere in the series, including on Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins and Shelly Manne’s 2-3-4.
