George Coleman

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

George Coleman (born March 8, 1935 in Memphis , Tennessee ) is an American tenor saxophonist of modern jazz .

Live and act

George Coleman began his career as a jazz musician in the 1950s as a companion to blues legend BB King . He went to Chicago with Booker Little , then worked in New York with Lee Morgan and Jimmy Smith . In 1958 he became a member of the group of Max Roach and Kenny Dorham , 1959–61 of the Slide Hampton Octet; In 1961 he took part in the last recordings of Booker Little before his untimely death ( Booker Little and Friend ). In 1962 he played briefly with Wild Bill Davis . This was later followed by joint appearances and recordings with Johnny Griffin , Lionel Hampton , Charles Mingus , Chet Baker and Ahmad Jamal . At the side of Miles Davis ( Seven Steps to Heaven , Miles Davis in Europe 1963, My Funny Valentine , 1964) and Herbie Hancock ( Maiden Voyage , 1965) he contributed to the creation of legendary jazz albums. In 1964 he played with Lionel Hampton and for the next ten years worked as a freelance musician with Lee Morgan, Elvin Jones , Shirley Scott and Cedar Walton . In 1975 he formed the Eastern Rebellion with Walton, Sam Jones and Billy Higgins . In the 1980s and 90s he worked as a band leader with Higgins, Harold Mabern , Jamil Nasser , Idris Muhammad and Ray Drummond . In 1996 his album Danger High Voltage , u. a. with Gary Smulyan , Jim Rotondi and Ned Otter . In 2012 he works with his organ Quintet , in which u. a. Mike LeDonne and Russell Malone play.

A broad recognition for his unmistakable, lyrically powerful style has remained denied to him to this day.

His wife was the organist Gloria Coleman († 2010); their son, George Coleman Jr. , is active as a drummer in the New York jazz scene.

Discography (excerpt)

Albums under your own name

  • Playing Changes (Ronnie Scott's Jazz House, 1979)
  • Manhattan Panorama (Evidence, 1989) with Harold Mabern, Jamil Nasser , Idris Muhammad
  • My Horns of Plenty (Verve, 1991) with Mabern, Ray_Drummond, Billy Higgins
  • At Yoshi’s (Evidence, 1992) with Mabern, Ray Drummond, Alvin Queen
  • Blues Inside Out (Ronnie Scott's Jazz House, 1997)
  • I Could Write a Book: The Music of Richard Rodgers (Telarc, 1998) with Mabern, Nasser, Billy Higgins
  • Danger High Voltage (Two & Four Recordings, 2000) with Gary Smulyan , Mabern, Drummond, George Coleman Jr.
  • Dynamic Duo with Tete Montoliu , (Timeless 2002)
  • Four Generations of Miles (Chesky, 2002) with Mike Stern , Ron Carter , Jimmy Cobb
  • A Master Speaks (Smoke Sessions, 2016)
  • The Quartet (Smoke Sessions, 2019)

Important albums as a sideman

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Coleman, George
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician and tenor saxophonist
DATE OF BIRTH March 8, 1935
PLACE OF BIRTH Memphis (Tennessee)