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George Coleman

George Coleman is a tenor and soprano saxophonist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator whose career spans Memphis blues and New York jazz.

Tenor and soprano saxophoneComposerArrangerEducator4 current shows

Photo source · Photo: Brian McMillen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Career Overview

About George Coleman

The National Endowment for the Arts traces Coleman's path from Memphis blues clubs and touring with B.B. King to Chicago's MJT+3, Max Roach's band, and Slide Hampton's octet. It documents his move to New York and the composing and arranging experience developed along the way.[1]

The NEA profile also places Coleman in Miles Davis's 1963 quintet and on Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage before his later focus on quartet, quintet, and octet leader groups and jazz education. Smoke Sessions documents that leader arc through A Master Speaks and The Quartet and his guest role on One for All's Big George.[1][2][3][4]

Ensembles and Career Threads

Bands & Projects

Leader and tenor saxophonist

George Coleman Quartet

The Quartet captures Coleman's long-working unit with Harold Mabern, John Webber, and Joe Farnsworth in its first studio recording together.[3]

Tenor saxophonist

Miles Davis quintet

Joined 1963

The NEA biography documents Coleman alongside Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams during a pivotal Davis period.[1]

Educator and master-class clinician

Jazz education

The NEA records teaching positions at Mannes, Long Island University, and New York University plus master classes nationwide.[1]

Selected, Not Exhaustive

Recordings to Know

2016 · Smoke Sessions Records

A Master Speaks

Quartet leader and tenor saxophonist

Coleman's return to the studio as a leader joins him with Mike LeDonne, Bob Cranshaw, son George Coleman Jr., and guest Peter Bernstein.[2]

Release details

2019 · Smoke Sessions Records

The Quartet

Leader and tenor saxophonist

The session documents Coleman's established quartet with Harold Mabern, John Webber, and Joe Farnsworth.[3]

Release details

2023 · Smoke Sessions Records

Big George

Featured tenor saxophonist with One for All

Coleman guests on three tracks with One for All, whose arrangements were shaped in the studio around his contributions.[4]

Release details

Artist-Authorized Destinations

Start Listening

Official Smoke Sessions Bandcamp

Hear Coleman's recent leader albums A Master Speaks and The Quartet in full with personnel notes.

NEA Jazz Masters profile

Explore the official career biography with selected audio, interviews, and historical discography.

Live Calendar

Upcoming Jazz DateBook Shows

Fri, Sep 18, 7:00 PM

George Coleman at Regattabar

Regattabar · Cambridge

Show details

Fri, Sep 18, 9:30 PM

George Coleman at Regattabar

Regattabar · Cambridge

Show details

Sat, Sep 19, 7:00 PM

George Coleman at Regattabar

Regattabar · Cambridge

Show details

Sat, Sep 19, 9:30 PM

George Coleman at Regattabar

Regattabar · Cambridge

Show details

Sources

Career copy is original synthesis from the artist, label, and project sources below. Current dates come from Jazz DateBook event inventory.

  1. [1] NEA Jazz Masters biography and audio

    National Endowment for the Arts

  2. [2] A Master Speaks release and personnel

    Smoke Sessions Records

  3. [3] The Quartet release and personnel

    Smoke Sessions Records

  4. [4] Big George release and guest credits

    Smoke Sessions Records