The tenor saxophone became, in Coleman Hawkins' hands, a legitimate contender for the trumpet's role as first instrument of jazz. A natural improviser with a well-thumbed mental Rolodex of harmonic possibility, he helped lead the charge with Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds, and worked with Louis Armstrong in the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra during the golden years of swing. He also encouraged a generation of bebop musicians to push further into the musical wilderness, taking on early sessions from Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie, and easily matching their thirst for instant and vibrant expression.