George Coleman and Me…
So 1963 was when Miles (Davis) called me in person. He said, "I'd like for you to come to Japan and do you have any other people you might want to recommend because I'm getting a new band." I recommended Harold Mabern, my partner from Memphis, for the piano...he wanted another horn besides myself, so I recommend Frank Strozier, who played alto. So when we first started out, it was a sextet, alto, tenor, and him on trumpet...Harold Mabern on piano, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Ron Carter on bass...That lasted for a few months and we toured the West Coast. And then, after we finished the West Coast, he condensed the band, he broke it down and said that he just wanted a quintet. Jimmy Cobb left and...me, along with Ron Carter, we were the only two left in that band. That is when he added Tony Williams and Herbie Hancock and then the rest is history, the famous Miles Davis Quintet that made all those records that people still talk about today, My Funny Valentine, Four & More, Miles Davis in Europe, and Seven Steps to Heaven. It was those four albums that I did with him during that period, in just a year.
George Coleman on joining Miles Davis
Quiet Nights (1963) signed by George
The major reason was, during that time, Miles was not in good health. I would wind up being out front, standing out front and in a quartet situation, because a lot of times he wouldn't show and then people would think I was Miles Davis. You can believe that. That is an absolute fact. They would come to me after the set was over and say, "Oh, Mr. Davis, the music was so tremendous." They had never seen Miles. They didn't know what he played, but he was so charismatic that even if he wasn't there, people thought he was. They didn't know whether he played tenor or trumpet or what. So there was too much pressure on me.
George Coleman on leaving Miles Davis after one year
Max Roach +4 (1956) signed by George, Max Roach, Bob Cranshaw
George Coleman is playing with reckless abandon, not concerned with perfection or even precision. He is clearly feeding off the energy of the crowd and riding high above the beautiful accompaniment from the top-flight rhythm section. He is going for it. The no-holds-barred approach that is his signature is on full display throughout this whole date, and it’s absolutely delightful.
record label owner/saxophonist Cory Weeds on Live In Baltimore
Live In Baltimore (1971 recordings, 2020 release) signed by George
Oh yeah, the Famous Ballroom was great. We used to get up there quite a bit, with Wynton Kelly, Ron McClure and Jimmy Cobb. Those were some of the good moments. I really enjoyed playing there. The people were nice, too. A lot of black folks used to go there, too. It was integrated—I mean, black, white, whatever. They were there to listen to the music. It was a really great era.
George Coleman
Deeds Not Words (1958) signed by George, Max Roach
New York was incredible then. You had everybody from Coleman Hawkins - the father of the tenor saxophone in jazz - to Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. It was a constant inspiration to work at your craft. There was so much truly good playing, you couldn't help but be inspired. There was no room for jive.
George Coleman on New York City in the late 1950s
Max Roach 4 Plays Charlie Parker (1959) signed by George, Max Roach
George Coleman grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, in a swirl of blues, jazz, and soul. Some of his classmates at Manassas High School were future jazz legends Booker Little, Charles Lloyd, Hank Crawford, Harold Mabern, Frank Strozier, and Phineas and Calvin Newborn. As Hank Crawford later observed, "We had a pretty good education just by being around each other." George picked up the alto saxophone at first, an homage to his hero Charlie Parker, "Charlie Parker was the real deal. He was the man I was really inspired by. His great technique, sound and all of those great qualities is what interested me to play the music." George switched to tenor saxophone when he joined B.B. King, "I made that switch when I joined B.B. in 1955. When I arrived on the scene, he went to the music store and bought me a tenor and that's when I began playing tenor because he had an alto player in the band."
Three Or Four Shades Of Blues (1977) signed by George
How the jazz gods smiled when B.B. King had no need for another alto saxophonist and bought George a tenor saxophone! From this humble beginning, George Coleman has played on some of the most important Jazz recordings like Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage", Miles Davis' "My Funny Valentine", Max Roach's "Deeds Not Words" (written by bassist Bill Lee, film auteur Spike Lee's dad), and Lee Morgan's "City Lights." George has released nineteen albums as a leader, and he has appeared on hundreds more as a sideman with Charles Earland, Charles Mingus, Jimmy Smith and Chet Baker. George spoke warmly of his recordings with Chet Baker, "That was a wonderful date. We did five of those LPs (including Smokin’, Groovin’, Comin’ On, Cool Burnin’). Chet’s chops were not the greatest and, of course, he was dealing with his affliction. We would record for maybe an hour or two, and then Chet would have to cut out, get his stuff taken care of. It was quite a revelation for me, because I had never played with him and I didn’t know he could play that great. When he put that trumpet to his mouth, man, some stuff came out of there—some real, real bebop. And he was sick..."
Manhattan Panorama (1985) signed by George, Harold Mabern
George's longest collaboration has been with his high school friend and pianist extraordinaire, Harold Mabern. They have been friends and colleagues for nearly seventy years. George appeared on Harold's first two releases in 1968 as a leader, including Rakin' And Scrapin'. Harold described the origin of the title, "I remember one day when I was ten or eleven years of age, I asked my father for some money for something I wanted to buy and I remember him saying, "Junior, I don't have the money now but I'll try to rake and scrape the money up for you." Steeped in the blues, Harold is a virtuoso pianist. His role model growing up was his fellow Memphian, Phineas Newborn, Jr., "When Phineas played, everything was at his command. He could put his right hand in one pocket and play complete compositions with his left. I knew the first time I saw him I wanted to play like that. I also knew I had my work cut out for me." As a leader, Harold has released more than twenty albums and hundreds more as a sideman in his celebrated discography, and his work continues.
Workin’ & Wailin’ (1969) signed by George, Harold Mabern, Buster Williams
Harold and George are both robust and physical performers. George has a brawny, muscular tone on the tenor saxophone which befits his background as a star high school football linebacker. A commanding stage presence, he was not nicknamed "Big George" for nothing. As he once mused about his athletic exploits, "I was sidetracked by the music. Any glimmer of hope for that was negated by the music that I was hearing from Charlie Parker and some of the other great players. So I knew right then that I wanted to be a musician pretty quick and not an athlete."
Live At Yoshi’s (1989) signed by George, Harold Mabern
Erin and I saw George and Harold again recently at The Jazz Standard in New York City, a small venue with one hundred-twenty five seats. With a halting gait, George made his way to the band stand. There, he remained seated on a stool as Harold thoughtfully handed him his horn. George said to the audience, "Thank you for coming. We'd like to dedicate this set and program to the one and only Miles Davis." The quartet - George on tenor, Harold on piano, John Webber on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums - opened with "Solar", a 1954 Miles Davis classic blues (the first two bars are etched on Miles' tombstone in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx!). George may be a lion in winter, but he can still roar. Even seated, his sound was warm and full, and there were plenty of solos by his talented accompanists as each song stretched beyond twelve minutes. The Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart standard "My Funny Valentine" followed which showcased Harold's lyrical touch. Harold deftly wove the Michel Legrand chanson "The Windmills Of Your Mind" into the middle of his extended piano solo before returning to the main theme. Next came the gorgeous ballad "Someday My Prince Will Come" from the Disney songbook, Snow White never sounded so mournful yet beautiful. The quartet finished with "Oleo", a Sonny Rollins romp, as a blazing, up-tempo closer. It was a crisp celebration of Miles Davis, a glorious night of music, and an exquisite program executed by skilled practitioners.
Amsterdam After Dark (1985) signed by George
After the show, I visited with George in his dressing room. He was generous and expansive as he signed the vinyl. As he signed Amsterdam After Dark, he pointed to his horn laying flat on his dressing room banquette, "You know, that's the same horn on that cover, I've had it for more than forty years. It's not my main horn though, that one's in the shop." ‘How long have you had the other horn?’ I asked. "More than fifty years," he chuckled. I mentioned that Jimmy McGriff played my wedding. "Yes, I know Jimmy very well. He used to play with one of my main men, Hank Crawford. Hank and I grew up together back in Memphis," George said. ‘That was some group of talent in Memphis back then,’ I mentioned. "Yes, it was," George agreed, "Yes, it was." And George Coleman and Harold Mabern are right at the top of that list of impressive talent, in Memphis or anywhere.
Mr. Wonderful (1964) signed by Harold, Sammy Davis Jr.
A Change Is Gonna Come (1966) signed by George, Jack McDuff, Pat Martino, Bernard Pretty Purdie
After my visit with George, I found Harold relaxing at the bar, having a drink with his dinner. I brought along some Sammy Davis Jr. vinyl because I loved Harold's Sammy tribute, Mr. Lucky, which he released in 2012. Harold smiled and said, "Sammy was a great artist and very underrated. I had a lot of fun recording his songs." I nudged him, "What about Greasy Kid Stuff ? That needs to be re-released on vinyl. Your version of Michael Jackson's "I Want You Back" smokes." Harold laughed, "Thank you, but I don't have anything to do with that." I expressed my condolences on the recent passing of Rudy Van Gelder, the ninety-one year old master engineer who ran a studio out of his home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and was responsible for nearly all of the Blue Note sessions from 1953 to 1967, including the works of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. "It's a terrible loss, that studio should become a museum," I offered. Harold agreed, "Yes it is a terrible loss. No one really knows what will happen. I don't know if there's a will, no one really knows. I was at a recording session less than a year ago and Rudy was there. He had moved a bed into the studio so he could continue to work." Erin and I left the show astonished with the vitality of these two jazz men in their eighties. Their music must be their secret elixir, I know it's mine.
Rakin’ And Scrapin’ (1968) signed by George, Harold Mabern
George Coleman and Harold Mabern, friends since high school and purveyors of the finest jazz. Long may they play.
Choice George Coleman and Harold Mabern cuts (per BK's request)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amLdS7KFEFo
"Woke Up This Morning" George sax solo, B.B. King on guitar/vocals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc3CXMjeV-8
"My Funny Valentine" Miles, George, Herbie, Ron, Tony Live At Philharmonic NYC 1963
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HncvF1rTEMg
"Maiden Voyage" George with Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard 1965
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5X-JHEFj18&list=PLB6A8217C2D99FF1A
"Lean On Me" Shirley Scott on organ, George wails Bill Withers! 1972
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QUYO69aclU
"On A Misty Night" Boppin' With The Chet Baker Quintet 1965
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbdoRmh8XYE
"I Want You Back" Harold swings Michael Jackson! Greasy Kid Stuff 1970
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_FEIlEY7es
"Blues for B.B." A Master Speaks George Coleman 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CkPB5GcvGw
"Rakin' And Scrapin' " Harold Mabern live Smalls, NYC 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsiI37-b2uI
"Hey There" Mr. Lucky: Tribute To Sammy Davis Jr. Harold Mabern 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6pHGxs6hPE
"Fools Rush In" with Norah Jones Afro Blue Harold Mabern 2015
Love Bug (1969) signed by George, Reuben Wilson
Lean On Me (1972) signed by George
Smokin’ (1977) signed by George
Two Sides Of Slide (1961) signed by George, Slide Hampton
Slide Hampton And His Horn Of Plenty (1959) signed by George, Slide Hampton
Jazz With A Twist (1962) signed by George, Slide Hampton
Time Capsule (1977) signed by George, Elvin Jones, Kenny Barron, Frank Foster, Frank Wess
Blue Breakbeats (1998 compilation) signed by George, Reuben Wilson