Jump to content

George Coleman's "The Quartet"


Hardbopjazz

Recommended Posts

Does anybody know why George led so few leader dates throughout his career? It just seems weird to me that such a great player, with sideman dates going back to his appearance on Lee Morgan's 1957 Blue Note recording "City Lights", has so few dates as a leader. His first date as a leader was in 1979 , "Amsterdam After Dark". Did George just not want to take on any leader dates?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, sonnymax said:

Please tell me you have this one.

71FDLYtNK8L._SX522_.jpg

On how many of the tracks does George play tenor? There is a single YouTube clip available, The Lamp Is Low, and that's about enough soprano for me.

I currently have the Dutch Timeless remaster of Amsterdam After Dark, and At Yoshi's.

12 hours ago, Hardbopjazz said:

I dig everything session Big George has put out in his long career. I am excited about his new one coming out in September. On Amazon you can sample 30 seconds of the first track.

Actually, you can sample 30 seconds of every track.

Edited by erwbol
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, bresna said:

Does anybody know why George led so few leader dates throughout his career? It just seems weird to me that such a great player, with sideman dates going back to his appearance on Lee Morgan's 1957 Blue Note recording "City Lights", has so few dates as a leader. His first date as a leader was in 1979 , "Amsterdam After Dark". Did George just not want to take on any leader dates?

To my knowledge, he has at least two previous leader dates, from 1977:

- the duo disc with Tete Montoliu (Timeless (Du) SJP 110, (US) TI 312 - George Coleman/Tete Montoliu Duo - Meditation, reissued as Timeless (Du) CD SJP 110 - George Coleman, Tete Montoliu - Dynamic Duo)

- and Catalyst (J) KUX-73-CT   George Coleman The Octet - Revival, reissued as Vee-Jay (J) 30YD-7015   George Coleman The Octet - Big George, 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, EKE BBB said:

To my knowledge, he has at least two previous leader dates, from 1977:

- the duo disc with Tete Montoliu (Timeless (Du) SJP 110, (US) TI 312 - George Coleman/Tete Montoliu Duo - Meditation, reissued as Timeless (Du) CD SJP 110 - George Coleman, Tete Montoliu - Dynamic Duo)

- and Catalyst (J) KUX-73-CT   George Coleman The Octet - Revival, reissued as Vee-Jay (J) 30YD-7015   George Coleman The Octet - Big George, 

Both are superb too!  As is Amsterdam After Dark! :tup 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, EKE BBB said:

To my knowledge, he has at least two previous leader dates, from 1977:

- the duo disc with Tete Montoliu (Timeless (Du) SJP 110, (US) TI 312 - George Coleman/Tete Montoliu Duo - Meditation, reissued as Timeless (Du) CD SJP 110 - George Coleman, Tete Montoliu - Dynamic Duo)

- and Catalyst (J) KUX-73-CT   George Coleman The Octet - Revival, reissued as Vee-Jay (J) 30YD-7015   George Coleman The Octet - Big George, 

That's still 20 years from his recording debut and on smaller European labels as well. I suppose it could just have been a sign of the times but it seems weird to me that he didn't get any dates after his time with Miles in 63/64 followed up by his work on Hancock's "Maiden Voyage". I would've thought that got him some attention.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Peter Friedman said:

This 2016 George Coleman CD is a good one.

71bg2HcuxpL._AC_UY218_QL90_.jpg

This one is very good. 

On 8/20/2019 at 7:47 AM, bresna said:

Does anybody know why George led so few leader dates throughout his career? It just seems weird to me that such a great player, with sideman dates going back to his appearance on Lee Morgan's 1957 Blue Note recording "City Lights", has so few dates as a leader. His first date as a leader was in 1979 , "Amsterdam After Dark". Did George just not want to take on any leader dates?

He did once say no one came a calling. He also has many students, and not only for the saxophone. Every time he plays a week in NYC he invites some of his students up on stage.   

Edited by Hardbopjazz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Coleman also played on five of Chet Baker's albums for Prestige in the mid-60s. They kinda paralleled Miles' Cookin', Steamin', Relaxin', and Workin' of about 10 years earlier. They were held in a marathon session on August 23, 25 & 29, 1965, also like Miles did for his final Prestige albums. 

They were condensed into 3 albums sometimes later. Lonely Star, On a MIsty Night and Stairway to the Stars. Good playing from both Chet and George. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Mentioning George Coleman  (in the Hilton Ruiz thread) reminds me of a concert we had in our private jazzclub in Koblenz, Germany with the George Coleman Octet on Dec. 02, 1981

George Coleman (ts & Leader) / Sal Nistico (ts) / Danny Moore (tp) / Mario Rivera (bs) / Bobby Watson (as) / Harold Mabern (p) / Clint Houston (b) / Billy Higgisns (dr)

Here is the only LP I have fom the GC Octet with slighly different  band members:

Affinity  AFF 178 (reissue of original Catalyst LP)

37371976kd.jpg

37371980nr.jpg

37371978eb.jpg

Fotos from the Koblenz concert will follow

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...